The Beast Inside
by My life is a h0t mess
Summary: A young child, with abilities she doesn't even know she as yet, runs away after the brutal killing of her mother by her father. She runs as far as she can, until she reaches the gates of Konoha, where Iruka-sensei takes her under his wing and Lord Hokage allows her to stay there as long as she likes. (Rated M for sexuality)
1. Backstory

**Okay, this chapter is kind of wordy, but bear with me, my children!**

**It will get better with each chapter I write.**

**This is just telling you where my OC came from and all that stuff, so trust me when I say this is as bad as it will get.**

**I don't own anything from Naruto**

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There once was a man and a woman. They were happily married and had a four year-old little boy named Akio. The man's name was Haruko and the woman's name was Kitai. Kitai was expecting another child.

"Our son is going to be the strongest and bravest warrior that ever lived." Haruko would boast. He was certain that the child his wife was carrying would be a boy. He prayed every night to Kami to let Akio be a boy and it worked. He assumed that it would work this time as well.

"But, what if it's a girl? A baby daughter?" Kitai tried to convince her husband that the choice was not his and that these things happened, whether you wanted them to or not.

"My dear." Haruko said. "I prayed to merciful Kami and asked this child to be a boy. He will not let me down." He kissed his wife's forehead. She was worried about what would happen if it turned out to be a girl, but then again, she was worried for her child, either way.

Little did Kitai know, that her husband made a deal with the Devil, so to speak. One night, after she went to bed, Haruko left their home to meet with someone. The had left a note- in case his wife was to wake in the night- explaining his absence. He said that he went out hunting and may not return for a few days, but that was partially a lie. He gathered a small group of men and a Cursor to help him find what he was looking for.

His plan was to put a curse on his unborn child. He wanted his son to be the strongest of the strong and the bravest of the brave. The only reason that Akio didn't have a curse on him, was because he was the test subject. Haruko wanted to be sure that prayers were the most effective way of ensuring the gender of his child. He assumed they were after the success with Akio.

After some time of thinking, Haruko wanted to know what living being fit the traits of a good warrior and hunter. His first idea was a lion, but he lived no where near the jungle and didn't know where to find one. He also figured that he would most likely die in the process. After that idea was thrown out the window, he thought long and hard all over again. It finally clicked for him. A wolf. They are strong, courageous and proud. All the traits he wanted his son to have.

The reason he needed a living being to die, was so the curse could work. The qualities of the animal he would kill would be sealed inside of the child. The Cursor would need to have either killed the being itself or posses the blood of the creature. Haruko was alright with either arrangement, so long as the Cursor himself didn't die.

A group of four, brave volunteers and the Cursor joined Haruko on his expedition to find the Alpha wolf he so desperately needed. It took his group all night to reach the forest and they didn't rest when they got there. They had to search, for the darkness of the night was their only cover.

Two more moons passed them by and they still had no luck. That was until one of the men found wolf droppings and tracks that followed. They followed the tracks until they finally found a single lone wolf.

"This may be as good as it gets." One of the men informed Haruko. He unwillingly nodded.

"I understand. My son will just have to make due." Haruko said through bared teeth. "What a shame. Please, forgive me, Noroi-san. I didn't expect a change in plans. We'll have to kill this one instead." The Cursor nodded, not being the one for conversation.

"Alright, when do we make our move?" Another man asked. Haruko thought about this.

"We track him and wait until nightfall." He decided. "When he least expects it." Everyone in the group agreed and followed Haruko's lead on the trail of the lone wolf.

They followed the wolf until dusk and they were led to a den. The wolf lied down outside of the entrance to the den and Haruko told his men to surround it. They would pin it down, while the Cursor plunged a kunai into it's heart. Noroi waited for his signal to do the deed while the others pinned it down. The men silently got into their positions, awaiting further instructions.

"Now!" Haruko instructed and all the men jumped out, enclosing the wolf in a circle. Since it was a wolf, after all, it didn't retreat and stayed to fight. "Go!" Haruko commanded and each man whipped out a kunai from their pouch. They threw their weapons just past the wolf and pulled down. Each kunai had a rope attached to it and when it was pulled, it would take the wolf down as well. "Noroi-san, you may proceed." Haruko said, having the wolf completely under control.

The Cursor emerged from the bush he was hiding away in and approached the defenseless beast. He brought out his special blade, and held it in front of him. He mumbled a few unintelligible words and cut his hand open. He let some of his own blood drip on the blade and came closer to the trapped wolf. He mumbled and few more words and held the kunai above his head. He shouted a word that the other men didn't recognize and plunged downward, into the wolf's heart.

"Is it done?" Haruko demanded to know when the beast shut it's eyes. Noroi was silent for a moment. He removed the object that was stuck inside the wolf's chest and replaced it with the hand he had previously cut open. He let the blood mix around and finally pulled away, red liquid dripping from his palm.

"It is done." He finally said. Those three words were the first ones he'd uttered. Haruko nodded and allowed the other men to relax their stances.

"Alright, then. Let us navigate our way out of this wood and return to our homes." Haruko said and his men cheered. "Tonight, we feast like kings and celebrate our victory!" He said and again, the group cheered

"You think that is a victory?" Noroi asked incredulously. Everyone looked at him in confusion and surprise. "Killing an innocent creature for your own selfish needs. It is a waste of my chakra and time. The only reason I am here, is because of my payment. If I were you, I would be disgusted in myself." After his speech, he led the group out of the forest. Afraid of what hell he may unleash, the group of men remained silent for the rest of the journey.

They dragged the wolf carcass back the village and shared it's meat among their families. Though hunting isn't needed, most men do it for sport or to save money on purchasing meat. This family, however wasn't like the rest.

After the feast between the five families and the Cursor, Haruko told his wife about the real reason he left. The Cursor, of course, had to stay with them.

"Kitai-hime, I've done something wonderful." He began and Kitai smiled at him.

"I know you did. You killed a wolf and I am very proud of you." She said and kissed her husband on the cheek. "I do hope, though, that the poor thing didn't suffer. What an awful thing to have to die in suffering." She shivered.

"Please, Kitai-hime, allow me to finish." Haruko pleaded and his wife nodded, waiting for him to speak. "This Cursor promised to make our son strong and powerful, so long as I gave him my soul if I should perish. He will perform a jutsu on our unborn boy and everything will be perfect." He insisted and Kitai's smile vanished.

"How... How could you do this without my consent!?" She asked him, furious with her husband. "I cannot believe you did this without speaking to me about it. I don't know if I could forgive you if you did this. I-" Kitai was cut off when Noroi hit a pressure point and incapacitated her.

"Was that really called for!?" Haruko demanded, holding his wife's limp body in his arms. "I could have asked her to calm herself, Noroi-san." He said and the Cursor before him just gave him a look. Haruko nodded. "Forgive me. We may begin as soon as you're ready. If you'll follow me, please." Haruko said and led Noroi to the bedroom Haruko and his wife shared. He gingerly placed his wife on the center of the bed. On the floor of the room, there was ink in the form of unusual markings.

Noroi motioned for Haruko to take a step back and the man obeyed. Noroi mumbled more inaudible words and placed his cut hand on the center of Kitai's stomach. He removed his hand, leaving blood on her bare stomach and made multiple hand signs that were made too quickly to be recalled. He again placed his hand where it previously was and light shot up from the outline of the Cursor's hand.

The ink from the floor itself began to make it's way to where the hand was and it soaked through the skin which protected the baby's body. It made it's way to the fetus and sealed away the properties of the lone wolf inside of it. By the time he was finished, Noroi was exhausted. It had taken a lot of chakra for that specific jutsu.

"You may rest in my home for the night if you wish, Noroi-san." Haruko offered and the Cursor nodded. "You will have to leave in the morning, though. I don't want Kitai to know what we have done until the child is born." Noroi again nodded and exited the room. Haruko sighed and wiped his wife's stomach clean. He got in bed next to her and went to sleep, satisfied with what he'd done.

A few months later, the child was due and Kitai was going through labor. After three hours, a beautiful baby girl was born. The father and mother had yet to see her, with the doctors making sure the baby was alright, it could have taken some time.

It was a few days- almost a week- since the baby was born and the mother was ready to be discharged. She was much too excited to see her beautiful child.

"If it's a boy or girl, I will love them with all my heart." Kitai promised and Haruko laughed.

"Of course, it will be a son! I prayed to mighty and powerful Kami for it to be so." He said and Kitai nodded.

"Even so, I will protect and love them unconditionally." She put her hand over her heart, sealing the promise. A nurse walked into the room with a week old baby in her arms. "Oh my Kami." Kitai breathed, anxious to hold her child. She took it from the nurse and smiled when she opened her eyes.

"So, what shall we name our son?" Haruko asked his wife and the nurse chuckled.

"You mean daughter. Congratulations, you gave birth to a perfectly healthy baby girl!" The nurse said and Kitai smiled at her daughter.

"Ayame. Welcome." Kitai whispered to her baby girl.

"There is one concern, though. We found a mark of some sort on her shoulder. It may just be a birth mark, but do you have any idea what this could be?" The nurse held up a picture of the child's arm. Kitai looked in confusion and her eyes went wide, but relaxed.

"N-No. We don't. Thank you for taking care of her, we'll go check out now." Kitai said and hurried out of the room, Haruko following. They didn't speak until they got home and their daughter was put into a nursery that had been set up for her.

"How the hell did this happen!?" Haruko shouted. "I asked to have another son not a... _that_!" Kitai gasped.

"How dare you!? She is our beautiful baby girl!" Kitai screamed at him. "How could you be so blind!? She is our flesh and blood! I can't believe you still had that damned jutsu performed on me!"

"Kitai, I'm going to get rid of it, anyways. Tomorrow. This is not up for debate. I'm going to bed. You may join me when you have calmed down." Haruko said and stalked off to his room. Kitai sank to her knees, crying over her child.

Akio witnessed the whole event. He went into his baby sister's room and saw her sleeping. He didn't realize what was going on, but he knew that this thing was causing it. He didn't like it. Whatever it was, it was making his parents say bad things and he hated it.

A few hours later, Haruko had gone to bed, tired from waiting around in the hospital room all day and Kitai was packing a bag of essentials. She was leaving with her baby. Tonight. She made a promise to protect that child and she was going to keep it- even if it killed her. She packed things that Ayame needed and an emergency supply of money that the family had, being sure to leave some Akio. Akio. The thought of leaving him pained her, but it had to be done.

"Mama." Akio's voice said. Kitai was in Ayame's room, packing her things and didn't realize the her son was awake. She turned and took a knee before him.

"Akio, mama has to leave." She said with tears in her eyes. "I don't know when I'll be back, but just know that I love you very much." She pulled in her boy for one last hug and kissed his cheek. "I love you, Akio. Goodbye." Kitai left the house that night with Ayame and never looked back.

**Five and a Half Years Later**

Kitai and Ayame were going out and shopping for food. They moved to a new city, far from their old one, and made a home there. Kitai liked it because of the scenery and her work was in walking distance. Ayame would start school in a few months and wanted to become a ninja. She never knew why, but she always liked running and the thought of being able to do jutsus blew her mind. Kitai was concerned about the curse getting to Ayame, but she knew that her daughter was strong.

"Mama, why are the other kids so mean to me?" Ayame asked her mother while they were out. Ayame was carrying bread while Kitai handled the heavier things. "I tried to play with them, but they always run away from me. Did I do something wrong, mama?" The little girl looked up at her mother with innocent eyes. Kitai sighed.

"No, Ayame. You didn't do anything." She tried to explain, but didn't want to tell her daughter the true reason behind everyone's hatred and fear towards her. They feared the power of the curse mark. "I'll tell you when you're older." Kitai promised and Ayame nodded, knowing that her mother never went back on her word.

Later that evening, when Kitai and Ayame returned from their errands and were putting groceries away, a man came into their home. A man who was not welcome.

"H-Haruko." Kitai stuttered, standing defensively by Ayame. "W-What are you doing here?" She asked. Haruko chuckled darkly.

"Mama, I'm scared." Ayame said, holding her mother's hand.

"It's going to be alright, Ayame. Just remember our rule." Kitai said, not taking her eyes off of Haruko. "Always to as you're told. Okay?" Ayame nodded. She wasn't sure why she was afraid, she just knew that her mother was and mimicked that emotion.

"Well, well, well." Haruko said, stepping further into their home. "Kitai-hime, it's nice to see you again. The years have been good to you. Oh and Ayame. Sweet, little Ayame."

"What do you want, Haruko?" Kitai repeated, stepping towards the back door of the house. Haruko rolled his eyes.

"Don't pretend like you don't know, Kitai-hime." He growled. "I came to kill the little monster I created." He pointed at Ayame.

"Don't you dare call her that. Leave this place or I'll-"

"You'll what? Call the police? Fight me off yourself?" Haruko shook his head.

"How did you find us anyways? Did you have one of your 'men' search for us all these years?" Kitai asked and Haruko pointed at her.

"Well, someone, give the lady a prize." He said. "I'm finally going to finish my life goal. Killing Ayame. My baby girl." Ayame gasped and hid into her mother's legs. "Don't worry, my dear. I'll make it quick and painless." He promised and Kitai quickly squatted next to Ayame.

"Ayame, listen to my, okay?" She said, her voice quickened. "When I say 'Go' you run as far and as fast as your legs can carry you, okay?"

"But, mama-" Ayame sniffled, afraid of losing her mother.

"Remember our rule, okay? I love you." She kissed Ayame's forehead and stood up. She grabbed a knife from the kitchen counter and charged at Haruko, catching him somewhat off guard. "Go!" She commanded, keeping Haruko under wraps for the time being."

"But, mama!" Ayame called tears streaming down her face.

"Go! Run as far as you can and until you can find people to help you!" Kitai yelled. "Remember our rule!" Ayame nodded and dashed out the door. She looked back in time to see Haruko push Kitai off of him and slice her throat. Blood splattered everywhere.

"Mama!" Ayame shrieked and ran at full speed for what seemed like hours. She kept running and running until her feet bled and after that, she kept running.

'Run as far as you can and until you can find people to help you!' Her mother's orders rang through her head.

"M-Mama." She shivered, tears starting to fall all over again. She slowed to a jog, then a walk. She was panting, tired, hungry and cold. "M-Mama." She repeated to herself. This was the only time she felt truly alone.

The young girl kept walking for ten minutes, until she reached and arch. It was a white arch with two green doors that were open. To a normal person, it would just be a gate, but Ayame saw hope. She kept her pace, being as sleepy as she was and finally reached the entrance. She didn't know where she was, because she couldn't quite read yet, but she knew someone would help her.

"Halt! Who goes there?" A man's voice asked. It softened when he saw that it was only a child. "Oh my Kami." He rushed from behind a post and approached her. Ayame flinched at first and held up her hands as a form of protecting herself. "What's your name, child? Are you alone?" Ayame felt her eyes get heavy and she fell into the man's arms. "Oh Kami, this isn't good."

The next morning, Ayame found herself in a hospital bed. She was in new clothes, but her old ones were on her bedside table. They were dirtied and torn. She sat up and looked around the room. She was confused. She had amnesia from all the trauma in one night. She could only remember one thing- her name. She looked at her hands and examined her legs and arms, but stopped when she got to her curse mark, which was on her right shoulder. It looked like three small, black boomerangs, with the butts facing inward.

"Good morning." A voice said, interrupting her thoughts. There were suddenly three other people in the room and Ayame became frightened and overwhelmed. She quickly shrank back in her bed, trying to protect herself. The men exchanged looks. One of them was a doctor, the other was the guard that found her and the third man was yet to be introduced.

"There is nothing to fear, little one." The man with no name said. He had his hair pulled back in a ponytail and a scar across his nose. "My name is Iruka-sensei. What's yours?" He had a friendly smile and spoke in a kind tone. Ayame relaxed and allowed herself to get closer to the man.

"M-My name is Ayame." She said, still afraid. Iruka smiled at her.

"It is very nice to meet you , Ayame-chan. May I have a seat?" He said politely and she nodded. He sat in a chair next to her bed. "Ayame-chan, do you know where you are?" He asked and she shook her head. "You are in Konoha. The Village Hidden in the Leaves." Iruka gestured towards the windows and Ayame took a peek outside. The sun was shining and children were at play.

"Ayame-chan, I am Dr. Watage. I would like to ask you some things, if that's alright with you." The doctor formally introduced himself and Ayame looked back and forth between the doctor and Iruka.

"C-Can Iruka-sensei stay?" She asked timidly and the doctor nodded. Ayame had no idea why, but she felt that she could trust this complete stranger. Iruka smiled at her and nodded at the doctor.

"Alright, then. Ayame-chan, where are your parents?" He asked and Ayame scratched her head. After a moment of her not saying anything, Dr. Watage moved on to the next question. "We'll get back to that. Where are you from?" Ayame shook her head.

"I... I don't know. I can't remember anything." She answered truthfully. "I'm sorry I can't help, Iruka-sensei." She turned to him and he smiled.

"It's quite alright, Ayame-chan." He stood up. "We are going to step in the hallway. You should go back to sleep and regain your strength, okay?" He said and Ayame nodded. She lied down again and the men filed out of the room.

"She has amnesia- no doubt about it." Dr. Watage said. He turned to the gate keeper. "Suge, did she have a bump on her head that may have caused this?" The guard called Suge shook his head.

"No. She was shivering from the cold and she just passed out from exhaustion." Suge explained and the doctor nodded.

"Something bad must have happened to this poor child." He said. "I think she was running away from something and she most likely suppressed everything that's happened to her. Maybe she was in shock from a traumatic event that triggered the suppression. It's not likely that she will regain her memory any time soon." He explained and Iruka nodded. He looked into the window and saw Ayame, already fast asleep.

"So, what's going to happen to her?" Suge asked, concerned for Ayame's well-being. "Where is she going to go?"

"We can't just throw her anywhere, can we?" Iruka said, like the answer was obvious. "I'm going to speak to the Hokage and ask him to let her stay here. I will take her under my wing myself." He promised and the two men nodded.

"That's very admirable of you, Iruka." Dr. Watage stated. "She's lucky to have you, considering how well you work with Naruto-kun." Iruka nodded.

"I'll enroll her in the academy." Iruka said. "That way I can keep my eye on her and she can meet other children." The others nodded in agreement. Iruka excused himself and went to the Kage Tower.

Iruka explain the situation to the Hokage of the Leaf Village, who was all for Iruka's game plan for Ayame. He wanted her to be safe, like everyone who was precious to him, which was everyone in the Leaf Village. He would have Ayame live with a foster-type parent and went she became old enough to take care of herself, she would choose whether or not to stay with them. Everything was planned out and Ayame was officially part of Konoha.

**Back At Haruko and Akio's House**

Akio was nine- about to become ten- and had heard the story of what happened to his mother and sister, never liking the latter. The story he had heard, however, was edited by Haruko. He was told that Kitai abandoned them and took Ayame because she would cause great trouble.

One night, his father had told him to stay home, while he took care of something. He did as he was told and didn't see his father until the next morning. He had been stabbed, but didn't want medical attention. He had a message to give to his only son.

"A-Akio." Haruko said, hobbling into the living room, where his son was reading. "Listen to me, boy." He said. Akio looked up from his book and saw that his father was bleeding. He opened his mouth to speak, but was silenced. "I... I don't have a lot of time, but I need you to do something for me." Haruko sat next to his boy and Akio was on the verge of tears. "Do you remember your Nii-chan? Ayame?" He asked.

"Yes. I do." He said angrily. He knew that monster would ruin his family. "Is this her fault?" He asked, pointing at his father's wound. Haruko nodded, lying to his son.

"I know you're very young, but I know you'll remember my request of you." Haruko said and Akio nodded. "You are my next of kin, this means you inherit my sins. I need you to fulfill my one goal."

"What is it?" Akio asked, eager to hear what he can do for his dying father.

"Kill... your sister, Ayame." Haruko said with his last dying breath. Akio was in a ninja academy and would soon take the test to become a genin. He was an exceptional ninja and a great warrior. Akio balled his hands in fists and let tears stream down his face.

"I... I accept the quest." Akio swore, voice shaking with rage. "I will kill Ayame."


	2. Chapter 2

**Eight Years Later**

**Ayame's P.o.V.**

Hi. My name is Ayame. I am thirteen years-old and live in Konoha. I have auburn hair- almost purple- that I tie back, so it won't get in my face. I wear a light blue top with one long sleeve on my right arm (to cover my weird birthmark) and a short sleeve on my left arm and black pants that stop at my ankles. I wear my Leaf Village head band on my waist. My specialty Jutsus are Earth Style. I just became a Genin yesterday.

Everyone in my class became a Genin except for one boy. His name is Naruto. He's really nice and energetic, but no one really seems to be around him. He reminds me of me in that way- I guess that's what made us such good friends. I felt bad that he was having so much trouble on the one jutsu we were tested on- the Shadow Clone Jutsu. Of course, it was a difficult jutsu, but Naruto seemed to have more trouble than the rest of us, for whatever reason that might have been.

Naruto eventually mastered the Shadow Clone Jutsu, though. He was tricked into stealing a sacred scroll for a sensei, who turned out to be a traitor. When he attacked Iruka-sensei, Naruto taught him a lesson and used his newly mastered jutsu to demonstrate. He was incredible and became a Genin after displaying his skill.

When Iruka-sensei found me and took me under his wing, he said that I needed to meditated daily. I agreed to this and started right away. I meditate every single morning and afternoon. I never really knew why I had to do it so frequently, but I did as I was told. I always did, even with my foster parents, but when I turned twelve, I decided to live on my own, in the same apartment complex as Naruto.

After we became Genin, we were to report to the classroom, like we usually did. I meditate before class and it was very rare that I lost track of time. I really hated to be late for anything. I was sitting on the roof of the academy, like I normally do, when my watch beeped at me. I opened my eyes and looked at my wrist watch.

"Kuso." I cursed and grabbed my bag. I leaped into a window and hurried to the classroom. I was relieved to see that class hadn't started yet. I scanned the room for a single, open seat and found one in the very back of the class. I shuffled to get over there, but, with my incredible luck, the bottom of my satchel broke and everything fell out. "Great." I muttered as I bent down. There wasn't a lot in the bag, thank Kami. I picked up my pencil, notebook and lunch bag. I was reaching for my book, when a small foot landed on it and drew it in.

"What are we reading?" The snob queen of the graduating class, Hama asked. "You should really fix that old, rotten bag of yours, Ayame." I was annoyed, but didn't show it. A shinobi must never reveal their emotions.

"Hama, may I please have my book back?" I asked politely and the queen just threw me a glare.

"Now, why would I do that?" She asked me. Her wannabe follower was smirking at me. I mentally rolled my eyes. "I think I would have a lot more fun if I-" I cut her off by snatching the book away when she wasn't paying any mind, not that she had a mind in the first place.

"Thank you for returning my book to me." I said in a monotone voice and smiled a small, fake smile.

"How dare you!?" Hana shrieked, getting the attention of everyone in the room, a skill she was good at. "Do you know who I am?" She demanded. This was too easy.

"Unfortunately, yes, I do." I said. She glared at me, her cheeks becoming pink, and sat down, pouting. I nodded and turned to walk up the stairs to get to the seat I had my eyes on, when the same small foot, shot out in front of me and attempted to trip me. It succeeded, but I managed to use my one free hand to break the fall. The skin on my palm slightly broke and I heard an eruption of laughter come from the two snobs.

"You should watch where you're going, freak." Hama howled with laughter and I only smiled.

"Are we seriously name calling and tripping, now?" I asked. "I thought that stuff was for children." I shrugged and turned around, but stopped. "Oh, and Hama, if you have a problem with someone, you should tell them, instead of resorting to such immature things." I said and continued to walk up the stairs, ignoring eyes that fell on me.

I usually wasn't the one for conflict, especially if it's with someone in my own village, but I was seriously getting sick of Hama. I'm surprised she was as popular as she was. I finally reached my destination, but there was a boy in the seat next to the empty one.

"Shikamaru-kun, is this seat taken?" I asked politely and he turned to face me. He shrugged and gestured towards the seat.

"Nope. Go for it, Ayame-chan." He said. I sat down, rubbing my temples and shutting my eyes. After a minute of silence, Shikamaru's voice popped my thought bubble. "Hey, Ayame-chan." He said and I snapped my eyes open.

"Yes?" I asked. Shikamaru was leaning into me and speaking softly.

"Don't worry about Hama. She thinks she's above everyone else, but she isn't. Don't let her get to you, you're way above her. Trust me." He smiled at me and I felt my face get hot.

"Th-Thank you, Shikamaru-kun." I said and he nodded, pulling away. I took in a deep breath and relaxed.

"I'm first!" Sakura and Ino cried at the same time. They were panting and standing in the doorway.

"Okay?" I asked myself and I heard Shikamaru chuckle. "Why are girls so competitive?" I asked him and he shrugged.

"I don't know, seeing as I'm not a girl." He said, sounding bored as usual. "The female gender is just too troublesome for me to understand." I chuckled at that one and nodded.

"How true is that?" I said and we laughed.

"I was here before any of you!" I heard a girl's voice shout. "I should sit next tot Sasuke-kun!" I turned my head to the direction of the commotion and saw a group of girls standing next to Sasuke's table and Naruto on the floor.

'What did I miss?' I thought to myself. 'Why are they all fighting over Sasuke? I just don't get it. Can't they see that he just wants to be left alone?' I shook my head and opened up my book to read until Iruka-sensei returned.

"Naruto!?" I heard Sakura scream and snapped my head up so I could assess the situation. "You're going to pay for that!" I saw Sakura crack her knuckles and I decided to step into the action. Naruto and Sasuke were wiping their mouths and I came to one conclusion. Ew.

"Sakura-chan, let's not do anything too hasty." I said, trying to calm them down. "It was an accident and I doubt you'll feel any better if you wailed on Naruto-kun. Just drop it, ladies." I was pretty scared myself, but I had to show no fear. I stood between the pack of girls and my short, blonde friend. I didn't bother protecting Sasuke because I know any girl there would much rather take a beating themselves than to hurt a single hair on his head

"Ayame-chan, step out of the way." Sakura said and I swallowed hard. I stood tall, which was a bit taller than her and remained silent. I could be very intimidating when I wanted to be. Sakura blushed a bit. "Fine. I won't hurt him, just let me sit next to Sasuke-kun." I eyed her over, then stepped to the side.

"Thanks, Ayame-chan. I owe you one." Naruto said and I smiled at him.

"How about we grab some Ramen later and call it even?" I asked and he smiled, then nodded. I turned to see the rest of the girls had gone to their seats and I let out a sigh of relief.

"Ayame, please get in your seat." Iruka called from his desk. When did he get here? I just nodded.

"Hai, Iruka-sensei." I walked back to my seat, where I was greeted by an annoyed smirk.

"Don't think I don't know what you're playing at, Ayame-chan." Ino said. She sat on the other side of Shikamaru. I raised an eyebrow.

"I'm glad you know because I sure don't." I said and Ino rolled her eyes.

"You're trying to seem uninterested in Sasuke-kun, when in reality, you want him as badly as the rest of us." She said and I rolled my eyes.

"Ino-chan, I seriously don't get what you see in him. He doesn't talk to anyone. How much do you even know about him?" I ranted quietly. "I mean, look, I don't have anything against Sasuke-kun. In fact, I think he could be a decent guy, but I just don't know enough about him to have an opinion. Relax, Ino-chan. I'm not much competition anyways." I shrugged and moved my attention to the front of the class.

"Alright, all of you will be assigned into groups of three." Iruka announced. I hoped that I would be out in the same group as Naruto. Iruka introduced us to each other shortly after I was taken under his wing and we became close friends.

"Good luck with your groups, guys." I said to Ino and Shikamaru. "I hope you get Sasuke-kun in your group, Ino-chan. You two would be pretty cute together. Don't tell Sakura-chan." I smiled at them both and Shikamaru smirked while Ino was somewhat blushing.

"Team Seven will have four people in their group instead of three." Iruka said. "I know it's inconvenient, but you'll have to make do. Team Seven is Naruto, Sakura, Sasuke and Ayame." He said and my heart dropped. I looked at Ino who was glaring at me and I slammed my head on the table.

"Kami, take the wheel." I muttered as the rest of the teams were being called.

I only really listened for the people I knew. Hinata, Shino and Kiba were in Team Eight and Ino, Shikamaru and Choji were in team Eleven.

"And that's all the teams." Iruka finally finished talking. "Now remember, each team is going to be lead by a Jonin, a highly ranked ninja. You will meet them after lunch. Good luck. Class is dismissed for now."

"Finally." I mumbled and filed out of the classroom with everyone else. I hurried home and quickly put my stuff that had fallen out of my bag in my apartment. I locked the door and hurried back to the academy, not wanting to waste any time. I got on the roof, my usual spot to really do anything. Meditating, reading, writing, crying, laughing and all that jazz.

I got to the highest point of my little get away place and looked down on the property. It was very nice and open. It was calming, which I guess is why I liked it so much. I sighed, sat down and opened up my lunch bag. I had an apple and two egg rolls. I don't get really hungry, unless it's for Ramen. Especially IchiRaku Ramen. Naruto got me addicted to the stuff. I took in a deep breath and bit into my apple, not really feeling like meditating. I was watching what was happening below and saw two people, who looked like Sakura and Sasuke, sitting on a bench, leaning into each other.

"Whoa." I said to myself. "I'm glad Ino-chan isn't here to see this." I watched them, taking bites of my egg roll, and Sasuke randomly ran away from Sakura. "That's weird." I said. He ran inside and I saw him a few minutes later, but I didn't see him come out of the building. Just what the heck was going on, here?

Sasuke walked past Sakura, but stopped. he talked to her for a few minutes, but then said something that shocked her and walked back into the building. I needed to investigate, so I leaped off of the building, landing softly on the ground and raced inside.

"Sasuke-kun, what is..." I trailed off when I saw Sasuke standing in the middle of the hallway, about to be attacked by five Narutos. "Um..." I scratched my head, confused. Each Naruto suddenly clutched his stomach and they fought over the bathroom.

"Loser." Sasuke muttered then turned around to leave and saw me. I raised an eyebrow.

"I don't even want to know." I said, shaking my head and started to walk outside, when a strange feeling washed over me. I stopped walking and turned around to see Sasuke standing right in front of me. "Something I can help you with, Sasuke-kun?" I asked and he just stared at me. I shrugged and turned around to walk away.

"Sorry." His voice said in a monotone voice. I stopped, but didn't tun around. "It's just refreshing to not have a girl freak out over me. Aside from Hinata-chan, of course." I rolled my eyes.

"My, aren't we full of ourselves?" I asked and finally spun around. "Forgive me, that was rude. Since we're going to be on the same team, at least one of us should make an effort to make sure we don't hate each other in the end." I said, putting my right hand on my right hip. "But for now, I need to return to my lunch. See you later, Sasuke-kun." I turned around for the third time and wasn't stopped.

I got back to my spot and unwrapped my lunch for the second time. My apple was brown and unattractive. I sighed and drew out a kunai. I stood up and threw the apple high into the air, then threw the kunai after it. It sliced the apple in two and I smirked at myself.

"I'll work on my aim a bit later." I said. "There's always room for improvement." I sighed and sat back down.

I quickly finished my egg rolls and hurried to the classroom where I was supposed to rendezvous with my team and the Jonin that would be leading us. I opened the door to see Sasuke waiting alone. I sighed.

"Glad I'm not missing anything." I said and sat next to the blue haired Uchiha. "Do you have any idea on where Sakura-chan and Naruto-kun are?" I asked and he remained silent. I assumed he was wrapped up in his own thoughts, so I didn't speak any further.

"Itai!" I heard Naruto's voice exclaim. I looked at the door as Sakura walked in with an annoyed look and Naruto had a welt on his head. I felt my own eyes widen. "I said I was sorry, Sakura-chan." I rushed over to Naruto.

"What happened to you, Naruto-kun?" I asked, examining my friend's head. He whimpered as I poked him. "Sorry. Sakura-chan, did you have anything to do with this?" I asked her. She was sitting where I was and she nodded. I sighed. "I don't even want to know. Naruto-kun, you'll live, just quit provoking Sakura-chan and you'll live longer, okay?" I said and he nodded. I smiled at him, then went to lean on the wall, closest to the door. I felt like a mom of three.

"And now, we wait." Sakura said, already bored to tears and I shrugged.

"That's what ninjas do." I said, looking at my shoes. "We wait for an opportunity to strike, but in this case, we're just waiting." I sighed and closed my eyes. "But, in the words of Shikamaru-kun, this is so troublesome." We waited in silence for some time, until Naruto got our attention.

"Ugh. He's late!" He exclaimed. He had gotten over his head trauma. He dashed to the chalkboard and grabbed an eraser. He chuckled and slightly opened the classroom door. He positioned the eraser to the point where, if you slid the door open, the eraser would fall on your head.

"Naruto, he's a highly trained Jonin." Sasuke scolded him and I shook my head as I walked away from the door. "I doubt he'll fall for that old trick." Naruto shrugged and kept on chuckling like a madman.

"Yeah, Sasuke-kun is right." Sakura agreed. "You're going to get in trouble."

"Well, that's what he gets for being late." Naruto cackled and I rolled my eyes.

"I'm scared." I said in a monotone voice. I sat in front of the desk Sasuke and Sakura were sitting at and began to meditate, seeing as I didn't get to during lunch. I took in a deep breath and tuned everything out. I didn't want to be bothered by anyone or anything. However, I was a ninja and couldn't block every little thing out. I subconsciously paid attention to what was happening outside of my head. I felt a presence in front of me and I grabbed someone's hand.

"Don't poke me, Naruto-kun." I said and opened my eyes to see the blonde boy before me. "Especially when I'm meditating." I raised an eyebrow, asking if he understood and he nodded. I released his hand, but didn't bother closing my eyes again. It was silent, until we all heard slow paced footsteps approaching the door. We all looked in the direction of the noise, when a white haired head popped in the doorway, with the eraser falling on his head.

"Ha! I got you!" Naruto laughed and I watched the Jonin before me carefully. He had white hair the spiked up and slanted on the left side of his head. He had a mask that covered his face up to the bridge of his nose and his head band cover his left eye. He looked mysterious and bored at the same time.

"I am so sorry, sensei." Sakura apologized for Naruto. "I told him not to do it, but he wouldn't listen. I would never do anything like that." I couldn't help, but chuckle lightly. Our new sensei bet down and picked the eraser up. The looked between all four of us and sighed.

"Hm. How can I put this? My first impression of this group; you're a bunch of idiots." He said to us and I just rolled my eyes.

'You have no idea, dude.' I thought.

He brought us to a location where we could 'get to know each other' and all that. It was somewhat like a rooftop, but it wasn't nearly as high compared to what I'm used to.

"Alright, why don't you introduce yourselves?" He suggested when we were seated. "One at a time." Sakura raised her hand, but didn't wait to be called on.

"What do you mean 'introduce ourselves'? What do we say?" The girl with pink hair asked and our sensei shrugged.

"Things you like, things you hate, dreams for the future, hobbies- things like that." He explained and I nodded, but Naruto wasn't satisfied.

"Why don't you tell us stuff first?" He asked. "I mean, before we talk, tell us about you so we can see how it's done." He said and Sakura agreed. I didn't really care and neither did Sasuke. I could tell that I wasn't the only one who just wanted to leave.

Kakashi-sensei pretty much only told us his name, Naruto went on about Ramen, Sakura was incomprehensible, Sasuke hates a lot of things and plans on destroying someone. How fun this activity was. It was my turn and I didn't really have a lot to say.

"My name is Ayame, don't remember my last name and I refuse to have one chosen for me." I said proudly and smiled. "I like books and Ramen, like Naruto-kun, I don't like... a certain someone. I'm too concerned with the present to really have anything planned out for the future. I usually play it by ear, unless a situation rises where you need to have a plan of some sort. My hobbies are reading and practicing my kunai throws." I finished and waited for anything to happen.

"Good." Kakashi-sensei said after a brief pause. "You're each unique and have your own ideas. We'll have our first mission tomorrow." Naruto grew eager when he heard the word 'mission'.

"What kind of mission are we going on, Kakashi-sensei?" He asked, excited for the answer. I was intrigued as well. Kakashi took a glance at all of us.

"It's a task that the four of us will do together. A survival exercise." He replied with a dramatic voice. Sakura and Naruto groaned.

"But we already did training and stuff at the academy." Naruto whined.

"Yeah, I thought we would start going on real missions once we became Genin." Sakura agreed. Wow. Sakura agreed with Naruto on something? This sensei is incredible!

"This task isn't like your training at the academy." Kakashi began to explain.

"well, what kind of training is it, then?" I asked, suddenly gripping onto each and every word this ma had to say. He didn't say any words, though. He just chuckled darkly at my question. "What's so funny, Kakashi-sensei?" I asked and he looked at me.

"If I tell you the answer, you're not going to like it." He teased and I became impatient.

"Whatever you got, I can handle it." I said, sounding a hell of a lot like Naruto. "Bring it." Kakashi glanced at me. his voice suddenly became serious.

"Of the twenty seven graduates who came here, only nine will be accepted as Genin." He informed us. "The other eighteen will be waded out and sent back to the academy. In other words this is a make it or break it, pass/fail test and the chance that you'll fail is at least sixty six percent." I gasped. "See? Didn't I tell you you wouldn't like it."

"N-Now hold on one second!" I said, coming to my feet. "Just what was the whole point of the graduation test anyway?" I demanded to know.

"Oh, that? It was to narrow down who actually had a shot at becoming a Genin or not." He answered swiftly and I felt my stomach tighten in knots. "Now then, be at the designated training spot at five a.m. Bring your ninja gear." He said and I just stared at him. "That's it, you're dismissed. Oh and tomorrow, you might want to skip breakfast or... you'll puke."


	3. Chapter 3

**Ayame's P.o.V.**

Kakashi dismissed us and I started to walk home. It was too early to be sunset, but it was the time of day that was like a pre-sunset sky. It was lovely. The temperature wasn't too hot or too cold and the was the perfect amount of background noise. There weren't a ton of people out- which is how I preferred it. Naruto and I decided to meet up at IchiRaku's Ramen shop, like I had promised him earlier.

I was no more than a block away from my destination, when I was confronted by, none other than, Hama and her pair of wannabes. I mentally groaned. I never show emotion toward Hama. Whatever I throw at her, she'll turn and twist into her own sick satisfaction.

"Well, well." Hama said, standing in my way. Her groupies stood on either side of her. "What have we here? I thought freaks couldn't be out past sunset." I glanced over my shoulder and sighed.

"It's not even sunset yet, Hama." I said in a purely dry one. "Your insult makes no sense." Hama glared at me, which I was used to at this point.

"Whatever, freak." She kept using the same name over and over again. It was getting pretty annoying. "We're just here to teach you something. You don't ever mess with me." She cracked her knuckles. I'm sure she was trying to be intimidating, but that just didn't work out very well for her. I sighed.

"Look, Hama." I said, a trace of annoyance in my voice. "I don't know what your deal is, but get over it. We live in the same village and I don't fight people from my home." Hama scoffed at my attempt to avoid any conflict.

"Konoha is _not _your home." She ranted and I raised an eyebrow. "You ended up here somehow. This isn't your home. You just pretend it is because you don't remember anything about your past. I bet you don't even remember what your mother _looked _like." I clenched my fists.

"Shut up." I growled. She didn't.

"For all we know, your parents could have been assassins or rogue ninja." She went on and was about to send me over the edge. "It doesn't matter now, though. They're probably de-" I punched her in the gut to shut her up.

"Kuso!" One of her wannabes yelled and tended to Hama.

"You'll pay for that, freak!" The other said, then attempted to swing down on me. I grabbed her fist, pushed her to the ground and darted out of there so fast, I'm confident they didn't know which direction I went.

"Phew." I sighed, once I sat down at IchiRaku's. I waited a few minutes before ordering and the blonde boy I was waiting for arrived.

"Sorry I'm late." He said and sat next to me. "I got a little distracted." He said and turned to the cook. "Two of the usual, please!"

"You got it, Naruto-kun!" He replied, not looking at us. He was working on the food. Naruto smiled at me, but I just stared at my hands which were on the table.

"Is something wrong, Ayame-chan?" He asked and I looked at him, then smiled.

"No, Naruto-kun. Nothing's wrong. Everything's fine." I lied. "In fact, I'm really excited about our mission tomorrow." He groaned.

"Oh, you mean the thing that could send us back to the academy for if we fail?" He said glumly, but perked up when the Ramen was served to us. "I guess it might be fun. You never know, you know?" He slurped up some noodles and I couldn't help but smile a little.

I slowly savored my food as I thought about what happened prior to my arrival at the restaurant. Hama was right, after all, but I didn't want hear the truth. Even in the eight years of me trying to remember, I've only remembered my mother's name. Kitai. That was it. I didn't what what her hobbies were, her career or her voice which I so desperately longed for. I sighed as I popped a veggie in my mouth.

After about half an hour, we had finished, paid for our meal and left for home. I was silent as Naruto blabbed on about Sakura. My mind was too wrapped up in my own thoughts.

When we reached our separate apartments, Naruto waved me goodnight and I mimicked his gesture. I went into my home, flicked on the lights and got determination in my heart. I sat in the center on my living room floor and shut my eyes. I began to meditate like I've never meditated before. I tried to surface my memories, the deepest part of mind, but I couldn't. I tried for a very long time, but when I opened my eyes, I didn't remember anything new.

I sighed, looked at the clock and saw that it was time to go to bed. I got up, changed into my pajamas and sipped into bed. I fell asleep that night, feeling unaccomplished and defeated. I made a promise to myself that I would try harder and harder to remember my past.

I woke up in the morning with a start and my right shoulder was hurting, but that was normal. It was somewhat of a burning sensation, but I brushed it off. I suddenly gasped, realizing something. I forgot to set my alarm clock.

"Kuso!" I cursed as I hurried to get ready for the day. I brushed my teeth and pulled my hair back without much effort. I glanced at the clock and groaned. I would leave at five. Great. I was ready to rush out the door, when I saw three of the most beautiful apples on my kitchen table. I smiled and placed all three of them in a pouch.

'The guys will need their energy.' I thought. 'Assuming they listened to Kakashi, they'll be starving.' I shrugged and bustled out the door.

I hurried to the rendezvous point and found three tried shinobi. I sighed in relief when I saw the our sensei hadn't arrived.

"Ayame-chan, where were you?" Naruto asked as he saw me approach. "It's not like you to be late." He stated and I hurried over to him.

"Sorry, Naruto-kun." I apologized. "I... I had a rough night." I sighed and he nodded obliviously. Sakura raised an eyebrow, but before she could say anything, I beat her to the punch. "Anyone hungry?" I asked.

"No, not real-" Naruto began to answer, but was cut off by his stomach growling. Two other similar noises followed and I chuckled. I got the bag out of my over sized pockets and unwrapped the fruit I had brought.

"I figured as much, so I brought some breakfast." I smiled at them as I held out my hand, holding all three apples carefully in my palm. "I wouldn't want my team getting hungry, now. Don't worry about me, I'm used to not eating a whole lot." They didn't budge. I retracted my hand slowly, a bit confused.

"That's really thoughtful of you, Ayame-chan." Sakura spoke up. "But Kakashi-sensei said we would puke if we ate." I nodded and kept my head down as I wrapped my offering. "Thank you." She added with a smiled and I nodded again.

"Any time." I muttered as I sat next to one of the random posts that were placed there. I crossed my legs, then shut my eyes, determined to remember something. Anything.

A few minutes went by with no luck. I was about to call it quits, when I saw something. Eager to see more, I tried to focus on that one fragment of my past. I was getting so close, I could make out the shape of a body- shoulders up only, but it was all I needed to keep fighting. The image started to focus, when I was snapped back into reality. I shot my eyes open, gasping for air and saw Naruto a foot away from me with his index finger inches from my forehead. The kid poked me.

"Naruto-kun!" I exclaimed, furious. I almost saw something. I almost had answers. I stood up and clenched my fists. "What the hell did I tell you!?" I demanded.

"Ayame-chan." Naruto said, shocked at my anger. "I just-"

"You what?" I was extremely pissed.

"He was listening to orders." A deeper voice said. I spun around and faced Kakashi. "So relax." I glared at the white haired man.

"_Relax? _How can you..." I shook my head. "You have no idea what you've done." I said and he seemed uninterested. I took a deep breath and remembered who I was talking to. "Forgive me, Kakashi-sensei. That was disrespectful of me."

"Yes, it was." He agreed and I tightened my fists. "But apology accepted. Now, let's get started, shall we?" He didn't wait for an answer as he placed a clock on the center post.

"Ayame-chan, are you alright?" Sakura whispered to me as Kakashi was explaining the exercise and I kept my rage controlled- something I was damn good at.

"Never better." I answered in a monotone voice. "We should listen." I suggested and Sakura sighed, then nodded.

Kakashi pretty much told us that we were playing keep away until noon. He had three bells and if we could get them, we passed, but if we didn't, we fail and don't get lunch. That was why he didn't want us to get breakfast- so it would be harder on us. I should have known. I tried to feed my team, I really tried to help, but nope. No one ever listens to the freak of Konoha, do they? I sighed and darted away from my sensei when it was time to begin.

I hid behind a tree I had spotted earlier and smirked when I was confident he couldn't see me.

'This'll be fun.' I thought as I made the appropriate hand signs for a Camouflage Jutsu- my own invention.

If Naruto could have a Sexy Jutsu, why can't I have one that makes me virtually invisible? Well, 'invisible' makes it seem like magic, when in reality, it just makes the person who uses it look like the environment that surrounds them. After the jutsu was complete, I let out a sigh of relief. I hadn't perfected it yet and this was the best opportunity to test it on the battlefield.

"Hey!" Naruto's voice boomed. I shuffled around the tree to face where the noise was coming from and saw that it was where Kakashi was still standing. "That's it! You, me, right here, right now! Fair and square!" He demanded from our sensei and I shook my head.

'Naruto, you're going to get yourself killed.' I thought. I couldn't help but watch, though. It was like a train wreck- you want to avert your eyes, but just can't find the will to.

"Well, you're not as smart as the others, are you?" Kakashi asked Naruto and the latter flushed. "Take the others, for example. They're all hiding so perfectly, even I can't see them. However I have a pretty good idea of where Ayame is." My eyes widened and there was a pause. "Hm. I guess she didn't fall for my bluff. Very good." I smiled.

'Don't make a sound.' I reminded myself. I slowly slid down the tree, until I was sitting and crossed my legs to watch the action unfold.

"Hey, who are you calling not smart?" Naruto asked, pointing a finger. "Don't you know who you're talking to? I'm going to be Hokage some day! Believe it!"

'That's my Naruto.' I thought, smiling. 'Believe it.' I mentally chuckled.

"You know, compared to the others, you're a bit weird." Kakashi said. I wanted to tell Naruto to not do anything, but then I'd give myself away- I was at a crossroad, here.

"The only weird here is your haircut!" Naruto recanted before charging at him. I held my breath.

Kakashi reached into his pouch and Naruto stopped dead in his tracks.

"Shinobi battle techniques: Part One." Kakashi said and I raised an eyebrow. "Taijutsu, the physical part." He slowly pulled something out of his bag and Naruto's tense posture turned into slumped shoulders. Kakashi now had an Icha Icha book in his hands. Naruto hesitated. "Well, what are you waiting for? Make your move."

"But- I mean, why are you reading that book?" Naruto asked and I just rolled my eyes.

'Because they're awesome?' I said in my head, being a fan myself. 'Alright, well I know where this is going.' I closed my eyes and searched for the image again.

I know it was a bad time, but me remembering something is worth going to the academy again. I focused all over again, straining to see what I did before. It very slowly came into focus and I felt every fiber of my being electrify with hope and happiness. When it was in focus, there was a woman, smiling. She had long, brown hair, soft hazel eyes. She was wearing light green- almost teal- robes and her voice was gentle.

"Welcome. Ayame." She said and I knew who it was. Kitai, my mother.

"Mom." I breathed and suddenly, I was snapped out of my memory and into the real world again. The first thing I saw was Naruto hanging upside down from a tree.

"Hey, let me down!" The blonde boy screamed and Kakashi humored him.

"Never fall for traps like that." He instructed. "Especially if the bait is obvious." I looked down at myself and saw that my jutsu was still in affect. Perfect. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to check on the others." He was gone in a flash. I blinked and knew what I had to do.

"Release!" I released my jutsu and ran over to Naruto with a kunai.

"A-Ayame-chan, I'm sorry!" Naruto said when he saw me running. "P-Please don't-" He was cut off when I cut the rope that held him to the tree. He fell on his head and sat on the ground upside down, still. "Why did you release me? This just makes it easier for me to get a bell." He sounded incredulous.

"Naruto-kun." I said, kneeling to him. "I don't mind if I go to the academy again. I know that if you or Sasuke-kun or Sakura-chan did, you'd be heart broken. That's why I'll do everything in my power to keep you all safe. You are my teammate and best friend, after all." I rubbed his head and he smiled. We were cut off by Sasuke screaming.

"What was that?" Naruto asked. I had the best hearing, so he didn't quite make it out, but I heard it clear as day. I turned back to him and smiled.

"It was nothing. Stay here and make a plan to get a bell. I'll go check it out." I told him and darted away.

The reason I was fine with going back to the academy was because of my mother. If I became a true Genin, I would be too distracted to try to remember anything else. I also think that the others have much more potential than me, so it's better for everyone.

I was nearing the place where I heard Sasuke's scream, when a second scream, that sounded like Sakura's blared. I hurried and finally came to the location where I was certain the yells came from. When I arrived, I saw Sakura passed out on the ground and Sasuke was just a head on the ground. I was speechless.

"Ayame-chan." Sasuke said and I couldn't help but chuckle a little.

"Did Kakashi get you with the Headhunter Jutsu, Sasuke-kun?" I asked, laying flat on my stomach, so I was at eye level with him. He narrowed his eyes a bit and nodded. I sighed and examined him.

"What are you doing, Ayame-chan?" He asked, trying to scoot away, but he was too stuck.

"Relax, would you?" I told him, still looking. "You're making me nervous." I stood up and rubbed my hands together, focusing my chakra. "This'll hurt me more than it hurts you, Sasuke-kun- and no, I don't mean that in an emotional way."

"What does that-" He started to asked, but I shoved my hands into the earth that was in front of him.

They slid in effortlessly and I searched for his shirt- or really anything to grab onto. I found it and pulled him up from the ground. He was out in seconds and I was out of breath and panting. My hands were burning as I lied on the ground, trying to catch my breath. Both of my entire forearms felt like a thousand needles were stabbing my flesh.

"Ayame-chan." Sasuke's voice called, but I was too drained at the moment. Before I knew it, I was being held in the blue haired Uchiha boy's arms. "Ayame-chan, are you alright?" He asked and I scrambled to get away from him.

"Yes, Sasuke-kun, I'm fine." I said, getting to my feet. I held my wrist which was sore from the weight I pulled out of the ground. "Are you okay?" I asked and he nodded. I looked at Sakura's still unconscious body and sighed. "Wake her up and get back to getting the bells, Sasuke-kun. I'm not allowing you to fail this test." I said firmly and his eyes widened a bit.

"Thanks, Ayame-chan." He said and I nodded and turned to run, but was stopped. "I don't know why you want me to succeed so badly, but thank you." I turned to face him.

"I want my entire to to succeed, Sasuke-kun." I said to him. "I don't care if I go back to the academy, but as long as you three don't, I'll be fine." I smiled and Sasuke nodded.

I dashed away, trying to find Naruto again. After about a minute of me getting completely lost, the bell from the timer went off.

"Kuso!" I cursed. "I hope they got the bells." I said and ran in the direction of the ringing.

When I got there, Naruto was tied to one of posts that Kakashi had set. There were three wrapped lunches. Sasuke looked pissed and disappointed while Sakura was fan girling over Sasuke. I sighed as Kakashi stood behind me. Every muscle in my body tensed.

"Now, now, Ayame." He said to me. "Relax. Time's up, so I won't attack you." I cleared my throat.

"Being too safe never hurt anyone, now did it, sensei?" I asked and he slightly chuckled. "Especially when you have that kunai in your hand." Sakura and Naruto gasped while Kakashi stepped out from behind me.

"Very good, Ayame." Kakashi complimented. "I'm quite surprised I didn't see you all day. You must have a keen sense on hiding." He said and I shrugged, pretending to be innocent. Kakashi sighed and I walked next to Sakura so I could see our sensei

"It comes naturally." I said.

"Yes, well, anyway." Kakashi went on and I leaned on the post that Naruto was tied to. "I see that you're all still hungry and that's really too bad. Oh and about this exercise, I've decided not to send any of you back to the academy."

"Woohoo!" Sakura cheered prematurely.

"Yeah! I did it! Believe it!" Naruto said, flailing his legs. Even Sasuke smirked at the news, but something was off.

"Yes. All four of you... are being dropped from the program permanently." I knew it.

"Drop us from the program!?" Naruto asked in disbelief. "That means we can never become ninja! You said if we couldn't take the bells, we'd be sent back to the academy! You can't just change your mind and kick us out! Why would you do that!?"

"Because you don't think like ninja." He explained and I raised an eyebrow. "You think like a bunch of bratty, little kids." That set Sasuke off and he lunged for our sensei, only to be thwarted and pinned to the ground.

"Sasuke-kun!" Sakura screamed.

"You think it's all about you." Kakashi went on. "You don't know what it _means _to be a ninja. You think it's a game, huh? Why do you think we put you on squads? Did you think about that fr one moment?"

"Team work." I muttered and the group faced me. "It was so simple we overlooked it."

"Someone, give the young lady a prize." Kakashi said sarcastically and continued his rant. "If all four of you had come at me at the same time, you might have been able to take the bells. Well, anyway, it's over."

"Wait a minute." Sakura said. "You set it up with four people, but only three bells. If we worked together and got the bells, only three of us would keep them. That would lead to group conflict and the squad would break up." She had a point.

"Exactly. I purposely pitted you against each other." He said and I slightly gasped. "I wanted to see if you could get past that and put the squad ahead of yourself." Sasuke's eyes landed on me.

'Wait a sec.' I thought. 'Did I do it right or not?' I was thoroughly confused.

"Genin should have a natural feel for team work, but you? It never even crossed your mind." Our sensei was talking out of his ass, but I didn't say anything. I had helped my team be free of his traps and wasn't that what it was all about?

"A-Ayame-chan did." Sasuke said from underneath Kakashi. I gave him a look that said 'Shut up', but he didn't. "She saved me from your Headhunter Jutsu. Even though it hurt her more than it hurt me. She didn't care what happened to her."

"Yeah and she saved me from that tree trap, too." Naruto chimed in. I stood erect and clenched my fists.

"That's only because I want you to thrive." I barked at them. Why did they have to say anything? "I don't care what happens to me."

"And that's why I'm giving you a second chance." Kakashi said and before I could say anything, he answered. "Thanks to Ayame's faithfulness to the team, I decided to give you all until three o'clock to get the bells, but first everyone can eat the lunches. Except for Naruto."

"Why?" I asked as he was getting off of Sasuke.

"Because he tried to eat before the rest of us." I glared at Naruto and he nervously chuckled. "Now, then, if any of you try to feed Naruto, that person will be sent to the academy. Enjoy your lunch." With that he was gone and Sakura tore into her food.

"I guess I should be thanking you." I said to Sasuke, offering my hand to help him up. He accepted it and I pulled him to his feet. "If you and Naruto-kun didn't have those big mouths of yours, I guess we wouldn't be having this second chance." He simply nodded and walked towards the lunches.

We spent a few minutes eating and Naruto's stomach kept getting louder and louder. I felt guilty. I hadn't touched my food and there was Naruto, wasting away with hunger. I eventually groaned.

"This is so troublesome." I said and rubbed my forehead.

"I think you're spending too much time with Shikamaru-kun." Sakura said, munching on a vegetable.

"So. Hungry." Naruto complained. "Need. IchiRaku Ramen. Food." I felt the worst twinge of guilt.

"Here." Sasuke suddenly said, holding out his food to Naruto. The latter looked at the offering, wide eyed. "Go on, take it."

"Sasuke-kun, what are you doing?" I asked, glancing over my shoulders. "Kakashi said-"

"Kakashi isn't here." He cut me off. "If Naruto is hungry when we try to take the bells, he'll only slow us down and botch the whole mission." Sakura shook her head.

"Sasuke-kun, eat your food." She said and held out her food to Naruto. "I don't need to eat as much as you so, Naruto, take my food." Naruto got love sick, but I had to speak up.

"Yeah, well I eat less than any of you." I said, standing up and unwrapping my lunch. "Plus, I don't need to be a Genin. I've already accepted the possibility of returning to the academy" I smiled at Naruto and held up some rice with my chopsticks. "Open wide, Naruto-kun." He did as he was told and I popped some food in his mouth.

"What the hell did I tell you!?" Kakashi's voice boomed so loudly I jumped. "You broke the only rule!" I felt my knees shake. "What do you have to say for yourselves!?" He leaped in front of us with a crazed, wicked look in his eyes- err, eye.

"We fed Naruto because he is a part of this team." Sasuke said. Sakura nodded.

"That's right." She agreed. "All of us are a team and we are one!" I grew some confidence and joined them.

"We work together! If one of us fail we all fail!" I said definitively and Naruto vigorously nodded his head.

"Yeah! Yeah! Believe it!" He said and dark clouds loomed above Kakashi.

"You all are one!?" Our sensei demanded. "You work together!?" We nodded, then Kakashi smiled and the clouds disappeared. "You pass."

"W-What?" Sakura blinked. "But I thought-"

"That _was _the test, Sakura-chan." I said, finally getting it. "Team work, remember?" Kakashi nodded.

"Of course. It's so simple." He said and I smiled. "At least you all figured it out in time. All you wanted to do was help Naruto, which in turn, would have help you with the mission. Therefor, you all pass."

I cheered and hugged Sakura. She hugged me a pulled away to reveal a huge grin on her face.

"We did it!" She stated gleefully. "We're Genin!" I nodded and sighed.

'Now even more distractions will keep me from Kitai.' I thought and rubbed the back of my neck while looking at my team. Naruto and Sakura had smiles that stretched from ear to ear, while Sasuke was smirking at his feat. 'At least they're happy. That's all I care about.'

"Now, let's go get you all some real food." Kakashi suggested. "My treat." Sakura and Naruto cheered.

We started to walk out of the training grounds when a strange sensation washed over me.

"Why do I feel like we're forgetting something?" I asked and Sakura shrugged. She walked next to Kakashi while I walked quietly behind them. Sasuke appeared next to me.

"I have a question." He said and I nodded, telling him to ask away. "What did you mean when you said you were okay with going back to the academy?" He asked and I sighed. "And why were you so concerned with the rest of us being able to thrive? Why weren't you concerned about yourself?" I rubbed my forehead.

"Sasuke-kun, I'm not concerned for my own well-being." I said simply. "I just want my friends to succeed. No matter what the cost." I somewhat lied. I don't really tell my friends about my amnesia and remembering unless it's crucial. Sasuke simply nodded and we continued to walk in silence.

"Hey! You guys forgot me! This happens every time!" Naruto's voice rang and I laughed, then went to untie him, so we could get some dinner- as an official team.


	4. Chapter 4

**Ayame's P.o.V.**

Over the next few days, my team and I took on various missions. Most of which included pruning peoples' gardens, babysitting or, the most recent example, retrieving lost and runaway pets. Getting attacked by the cat he found was the last straw for Naruto.

We arrived at the academy, to return the cat to it's owner, when Naruto decided to tell them how he felt. We were in the wing where missions were sent out.

"Oh, my poor, little Tora! Mommy was worried about you!" The wife of the Land of Fire's feudal lord, Madame Shijimi squealed.

"Ha! Stupid cat!" Naruto mocked the poor feline, who was being squeezed to death by her owner. "That kitty deserves to be squashed."

"No wonder she ran away." Sakura mumbled. I don't like cats in the first place, but I felt kind of bad for this one. Especially because it had a prissy red bow on it's right ear.

"Now then." The Hokage began. The old ma was cool- he agreed to let me live in Konoha when I wound up here and I was indebted to him. I was perfectly fine with any mission he had prepared for us. "For Team Seven's next mission, we have several available tasks. Among them would be babysitting the Chief Councilor's three year old, helping his wife to do the shopping, digging up potatoes-"

"No!" Naruto interrupted the Lord and I shot him a dirty glance, which he didn't catch. "I want to go on a real mission! Something challenging and exciting, not this little kid stuff!" He ranted and I flicked his left ear. "Itai! Ayame-chan!" He whined and I wagged a finger at him.

"Now, now, Naruto-kun, it's rude to interrupt." I told him. "This is what we Genin are obliged to do and you'll just have to deal with that."

"But come on!" He urged. "There's got to be something better we can do!" I sighed an rubbed my forehead. I love Naruto like a brother, but damn, could he get annoying.

"How dare you!?" Iruka exclaimed "You're just a brand new Genin with no experience! Like everyone else, you start with simple missions to develop your skills and prove yourself!"

"Are you serious!?" Naruto shot right back. I was through with being the mediator here. "Babysitting isn't a mission! It's just a stupid-" My blonde Nii-san was cut off when Kakashi punched him in the head. I wasn't too mad at our sensei because I know if he didn't do it, Sakura would have and, well, she punches hard. I should know.

"Will you put a lid on it already?" Kakashi asked, sounding monotone as ever. Naruto rubbed the back of his head as he sat on the floor and made extraneous wails of pain.

"It seems you don't understand the tasks you've been given." The feudal Lord Hokage said. Naruto stopped his bawling and listened up, just as I did. "Listen, many different kinds of requests come into our village everyday. From babysitting to assassinations. These requests are carefully recorded, analyzed , then ranked A, B, C or D- depending on their difficulty."

I nodded in agreement. Naruto didn't understand the importance of D ranked missions. They were there to help our own people, too, not just randoms. We received money for the village after every successful mission.

"We ninja are also ranked by ability." The Hokage continued. "Hokage at the top, Jonin, Chunin, and Genin at the bottom. At the highest level, we select the missions and assign them to ninja who have the appropriate skill and experience and if the mission is successful, we receive a fee that supports our village and our work." Told you. "Since you are untried Genin, just starting out the Shinobi path, you are given D level assignments, of course."

I was listening while Naruto was blabbing on and on about something I didn't bother to catch.

"Silence!" The Lord commanded and I felt my eyes flinch.

"Huh? Oh, sorry." Kakashi said and I rolled my eyes. Naruto turned around to face the voice that yelled.

"Gah! You always lecture me like you're my grandfather or something!" Naruto complained. How is having someone that cares about you a bad thing? "But I'm not the little brat who used to pull pranks all the time! I'm a ninja now and I want a ninja mission!" He turned his back to us and pouted. I sighed as Kakashi rubbed the back of his head.

"I'm going to hear about this later." Kakashi muttered under his breath. I was the only one who heard it, of course. My freaky hearing never bothered me, but I heard things I'm sure I wasn't meant to hear. The Hokage chuckled, amused.

"Naruto wants us to know he's not a brat." He mused and I raised an eyebrow. Where was he going with this? "He's a _former _brat and he wants a mission. So be it." Naruto gasped.

"Wait, what?" I asked, confused as hell. "We aren't getting a D Ranked?" I asked and the Lord shook his head.

"Since your teammate is so determined, I am going to give you a C Ranked mission. You'll be bodyguards on a journey." He said. Naruto stood up and cheered. Even Sasuke looked surprised at the news.

"Really?" Sakura asked and the leader nodded.

"Alright! Who are we guarding? Who? Who? Is it a princess or some big councilor?" Naruto pushed and I scratched my head.

"Don't be so impatient. I will bring him in now." The Hokage said with a half smirk. There's going to be a catch. Isn't there? "Send in our visitor." He commanded and we turned to face the door that was being opened. I watched carefully as an old man stepped into the room.

"What the?" He asked in a confused and dragged voice. "A bunch of little, snot-nosed kids?" I rolled my eyes.

The man had a little bit of a belly and was carrying a bottle- I'm sure there wasn't water in it, though. He had a white towel around his neck, pale green pants, a slightly darker green shirt and a rope tied around his head. He had a pack on his back.

"And, you, the little one with the idiotic look on his face. You really expect me to believe you're a ninja?" He asked Naruto and I clenched my fists.

"Hai, we're all ninja. Believe it!" I said. I inherited Naruto's catchphrase from spending so much time with him. "That includes myself so you better watch your-" I was cut off, when Sakura covered my mouth with her hand.

"Stop talking." She whispered in my ear and I nodded.

"It's a good thing you have control over that one." The retched old man said and I pushed Sakura off of me. I don't like being touched. "I am Tazuna, a master bridge builder and I must return to my country. I'm building a bridge there that will change our world and I expect you to get me there safely- even if it means giving up your life." He said. We agreed and quickly rushed home to pack our things.

"Yeah! Alright!" Naruto cheered as soon as we exited the gates of Konoha.

"What are you getting so excited about, Naruto?" Sakura questioned, sounding annoyed by Naruto as usual.

"This is the first time I ever left the village. I'm a traveler now. Believe it!" He cheered and I smiled. It always made me happy to see my Nii-san smile.

"Hey, am I supposed to trust my life to this runt?" Tazuna asked and I folded my arms across my chest. "He's a joke!"

"He's with me and I'm a Jonin, so there's no need to worry about that." Kakashi said and I shook my head. You really shouldn't bad-mouth my Nii-san.

"Hey, never insult a ninja- it's a big mistake!" Naruto called him out and I smirked. "I'm one of the greatest ninja ever! Some day I'm gonna be Hokage and you'll look up to me! I'm Uzumaki Naruto, remember it!" Tazuna finished drinking and cleared his throat.

"Hokage are powerful and wise. You are puny and brainless. The day you become Hokage, is the day I'll sprout wings and fly." The bridge builder remarked.

"Excuse me, Tazuna-san." I said calmly and approached him. "I would appreciate it if you would stop insulting Naruto-kun, please." I said as respectfully as I could manage, even though the only thing I wanted to do was kick him in the groin. He scoffed at me.

"What are you going to do if I don't, brat?" He tested me and I only smiled.

"If you say one more bad thing about my Nii-san in my presence, you'll find out." I said and looked at Kakashi. "Shall we head out?" I asked and he sighed, then nodded.

"Yes, that would be best. Naruto, Sasuke, Sakura, you all stay up front. Ayame, stay in the back. your ears are valuable to this team." Our sensei instructed. "I'll walked beside the bridge builder, understood?" We nodded.

I heard leaves rustling to my right, but when I darted my eyes in that direction, there was no one there. I simply dismissed my strange feeling and got in formation, like the rest of my team.

After some time of walking, Sakura suddenly spoke.

"Hey, Tazuna-san, your country is the Village Hidden in the Waves, right?" She asked and he nodded.

"Yeah. What of it?" He replied bitterly. Sakura turned toward Kakashi.

"Kakashi-sensei, there are ninja in that country too, aren't there?" The girl with pink hair asked.

"No. There are no ninja in the land of waves, but in other countries, there are hidden villages- each with their own different customs and cultures- where ninja reside." She nodded, needing no further explanation. "There are no ninja battles in a C Ranked mission, though, so you can relax." He patted Sakura's head and I rolled my eyes.

'Do what you like, I'm not letting my guard down for one second.' I thought as I put my metaphorical shields up.

"Then we're not going to run into any foreign enemy ninja or anything like that?" Sakura asked and we all stopped. Kakashi chuckled.

"Not likely." He said confidently.

We continued walking and came across a small bridge that over passed a small stream. Naruto crossed it first, then Sasuke, Sakura, Kakashi, Tazuna, then me. I had relaxed a bit, seeing as we hadn't been attacked or anything, so I was just enjoying the scenery and after a while, I noticed a random puddle on the ground. I examined the rest of the ground and saw it was dry.

"Kakashi-sensei, when was the last time it rained?" I asked, curious about the strange collection of water.

"I saw it, too, Ayame." He whispered, so I was the only one who heard. "Just remain calm and act casually." I tensed, but kept my eyes forward. Just what the hell was going on?

Before I could say anything else, I had the feeling that someone was running up on me, so I did a huge front flip, which landed me at the front of the group. Suddenly, there were two ninja behind Kakashi and they had chains coming out of their wrists, which were spiked and wrapped tightly around my sensei. They yanked on the chains with all their might and the man they captured was torn apart. Sakura screamed in horror.

"Kakashi-sensei!" Naruto shrieked and the two assassins appeared behind him and chuckled darkly.

"Now it's your turn." One of them said. Naruto turned around, but they were already waving their chains around. I couldn't help him because I was temporarily paralyzed with fear.

Out of no where, a shuriken pinned the chains to a tree. I spun around to find who threw it and, of course, it was Sasuke- the born fighter. He threw a kunai in the same place and locked it in.

"Gah! I can't get loose!" One of them stated. We all stared as Sasuke practically ripped the chains out of the machines that stored them, and _they _were attached to the wrists of the assassins.

When they were let loose, one of them ran towards Sakura and the bridge builder, while the other ran at Naruto. I saw that Sasuke would help the old man and Sakura, so I decided to take action and save my Nii-san.

The one who was confronting him had his arm raised and was prepared to swing down. I grabbed a kunai from my pouch and threw it as hard as I could. It ended up hitting the machine wrapped around his forearm and the sheer force of the kunai made him come crashing down. I rushed to Naruto.

"If you ever touch my Nii-san, I'll kill you with my bare hands!" I growled as I stood in front of Naruto defensively. The one I knocked to the ground was on his feet again, when he was swept away by someone too fast for me to see.

I looked over at where Sakura, Sasuke and Tazuna were and saw someone I didn't expect to see. Kakashi was standing with the two mystery men in his grip.

"Hi." He said nonchalantly and I shook my head. I should have known he had a trick up his sleeve.

"Kakashi-sensei!" Sakura cheered.

"B-But he was..." Naruto looked at where Kakashi's 'body' was and saw logs with scratches on them. "Kakashi-sensei used a Replacement Jutsu?"

"Naruto, sorry I didn't help you right away, but at least Ayame got to you in time. Good work." Kakashi said and I nodded, then turned to Naruto, who had a gash on the back of his hand.

"Kami, Naruto-kun..." I said and took a hold of his hand to examine it.

"Well, what a fine job you all did!" Tazuna erupted. "I could have gotten hurt!" I growled at him.

"Yeah, well you're fine, Tazuna, so get over it." I said. "My teammate got hurt, trying to protect your sorry butt, so why don't you do us all a favor and shut up for five minutes." I instantly regretted what I said. I hated getting mad at people.

"Excuse me? Who do you think you're-" He started to rant, but was interrupted.

"If I were you, I would take Ayame-chan's advice and keep your mouth shut." Sasuke said and my eyes grew wide. Did he just stick up for me? "Take a seat and rest while you're at it." Tazuna grunted, then found a soft portion of the ground and took a load off.

"Thanks, Sasuke-kun." I said and he nodded.

"Alright, let's all calm down here." Kakashi said. "Naruto, make sure you don't move around too much. These ninja have poison in their weapons and it's in your blood. Moving will only spread the toxin more quickly." I covered my mouth with my hand and looked at Naruto, who was terrified. "It'll be alright, we just need to remove the poison from inside of you, which will require cutting open your wound."

"When can you do that?" I asked, wanting my Nii-san to be okay.

"Soon, but first, Tazuna." Kakashi said firmly and Tazuna looked up at him. "We need to have a talk."

After the ninja were tied securely to a tree, Kakashi began to explain.

"They're Chunin from the Village Hidden in the Mist. Their specialty is relentless attack- they keep fighting, no matter what the sacrifice " He said and I glared at both of them.

"How did you know about our ambush?" The one on the right asked. Kakashi looked at me.

"Ayame, care to explain?" He asked and I took a step closer to them.

"I'd love to." I growled and the one on the left- the same one I attacked- scoffed at me.

"Staring at me like that won't make me feel bad, kid." He said sarcastically and I cracked my knuckles.

"May I?" I asked Kakashi, but kept my eyes locked on the scum before me.

"Just hurry." He said. I blew on my knuckles before punching him in the face. Hard.

"Gah! You little brat!" He cried in pain and I smirked.

"Don't flatter me, you little bastard, you deserve so much more, but we, sadly, need you alive for the time being." I said and took a step back. "Your ambush was obvious. A puddle, on a clear day, when it hadn't recently rained, where the rest of the ground was completely dry? A child could figure out there was something up. I'm a _Genin _for Kami's sake and I saw through your facade." I explained and the one on the right groaned.

"I told you it was too obvious." He muttered. "I hope your jaw still hurts."

"Well in that case, why did you leave the Genin to do all the fighting?" Tazuna asked.

"I could have taken them out easily, but then I would have learned nothing." Kakashi said. "I had to know who their target was and what they were after." His voice suddenly became serious. I hadn't thought about that.

"Hm? What are you getting at?" Tazuna asked.

"This." He began. "I wanted to know if they were after us- ninja attacking ninja- or if they were after you- the master bridge builder. When you put in your request, you asked for standard protection from robbers and highwaymen. You didn't say there were ninja looking for you- hunting you down. If we knew this it would be a B Ranked mission or higher. Our task was to simply get you to your destination and protect you while you finished building the bridge. If we knew we'd be fielding enemy ninja attacks, we would have staffed better and charged for a B Ranked mission."

I stared at Tazuna- the rude old man who lied to us- in disbelief.

"Apparently you have your reasons, but lying to us is unacceptable. We are now beyond the scope of this mission." Kakashi finished and Tazuna looked at the ground in shame.

"We're Genin, this is too advanced for our level our training." Sakura pointed out. "We should go back. And I really think we need to treat Naruto's wound and take the poison out as soon as possible. Back in our village we can take him to a doctor." I looked over at Naruto, who was staring at his cut. I felt a twinge of guilt. I shouldn't have frozen- I could have stopped him from getting hurt.

"Hm. Naruto's hand could become a problem." Kakashi agreed. "I guess we should go back to the village." He sighed. I don't think Naruto liked that idea because he pulled out a kunai and plunged it into his hand. I gasped.

"N-Naruto-kun! What are you doing!?" I demanded. "You're making it worse!"

"Why am I so different?" He asked with bared teeth. "Why am I always... I worked hard to get here, pushing myself until it hurt, training alone for hours- anything to get stronger, to reach my dream. I will never back down again and let someone else save me. I will never run away and I will never lose to Sasuke." I looked at Sasuke, who was staring at Naruto. "Upon this wound, I make this pledge. Believe it. Bridge builder, I will complete this mission and protect you with this kunai knife. A real ninja never gives up and neither will I."

"Naruto, that was really cool and all, how you took the poison out and all, but if you lose any more blood, you'll die." Kakashi broke the news to him. "Good idea to stop the bleeding now, seriously."

"I'm too young for it to end like this!" Naruto screamed as he had a spazz attack. "No! No! No!" Kakashi sighed.

"Hold out your hand so I can take a look at it." Kakashi instructed. I didn't watch as he examined Naruto's hand and went to the bridge builder.

"Tazuna-san?" I said as I approached. "I hope you'll forgive me about my outburst earlier. There's no excuse for my behavior, so I won't fabricate one. I'm sorry I raised my voice at you." He eyed me over then nodded, hopefully accepting my apology. He walked somewhere else as I let out a breath.

"Hey, Ayame-chan." I heard someone call me. I raised my head and saw Sasuke standing before me. "Nice moves back there." He said in a monotone voice.

"Thanks, you too, Sasuke-kun." I replied with a small smile. "And thank for sticking up for me when I mouthed off to Tazuna. It means a lot." He simply nodded and turned to walk, but I stopped him. "Can I ask you something?"

"Hm? Sure." He said, turning around again.

"Why is it you use honorifics for me and not Sakura-chan?" I asked and he thought.

"I guess you're just better than Sakura." He said and walked away. I scratched my head, confusedly.


	5. Chapter 5

What Sasuke said confused me. In what way was I better than Sakura? She was pretty, smart and not bad at kunai trows. If anything, she was superior to me- that is, unless Sasuke sees something that I just don't. That's also a possibility.

That awkward moment set aside, Naruto will be just fine. He took out the poison himself and Kakashi wrapped a bandage around the wound, so we're good to go. After my Nii-san's speech about not having people help him, though, I felt guilty. All he wants to do is prove his strength and having his female teammate come to his rescue sure didn't boost his self confidence.

I need to help him, though. After the team was made, I made an oath, myself. The oath was I will never walk away from someone who needs my help and I will protect my team with my life. That is the oath I made to myself and no one will make me break it.

After some more time of walking, my team and I made our way to a dock that was in a foggy harbor-like body of water. We hopped in a boat with an engine, but it wasn't turned on for the sake of being sneaky. Tazuna sat in the back with Kakashi and the man who was rowing the boat, Naruto sat in the very front, I sat next to Sakura and she sat directly in front of Sasuke.

"This fog is so thick, you can't see anything." Sakura stated. She was right- the only thing I could see clearly was Sasuke's face.

"It's good for sneaking around." I said with a paranoid tone in my voice as I glanced over my shoulders. "Although, being on the water makes it easy to hear someone splashing about." I shrugged and closed my eyes as I listened to the gentle crash of the small waves hitting the boat.

"The bridge isn't far now." The rower said after a bit of silence. "Our destination is just ahead. The Land of Waves." I reopened my eyes and saw Sasuke staring at me. I stared right back, until Naruto's voice got my attention.

"Whoa!" The little blonde boy cried when he saw the bridge. "It's huge!" I scrambled over to him and covered his mouth with my hand.

"Be quiet!" The rower commanded in a loud whisper. "I told you no noise! Why do you think we'e traveling like this, huh? Cutting off the engine and rowing. Moving in the dense fog, so they don't see us."

"Sorry." I said and slowly released the boy in my grip. I put a finger over my lips, which told him to be quiet and he nodded. I went back to my original seat and took a deep breath.

"Tazuna." Kakashi started in a calm voice. "Before we reach the pier, I want to ask you something." I sat erect and listened in. "Then man who are after you, I need to know why. If you don't tell us, I'm afraid we'll have to end this mission when we drop you ashore." Tazuna looked down in shame. He was silent for a moment, but finally spoke.

"I guess I have no choice, but to tell you." He sighed and began to explain. "No, I _want _you to know the truth. Like you said, this is beyond the scope of the original mission. The one who seeks my life is a very short man, who casts a very long and deadly shadow."

"A deadly shadow?" Kakashi asked, either in disbelief or for clarification. "Hm. Who is it?" I think it was the former.

"You know him- or at least I'm sure you've heard his name before." Tazuna replied and I just gave him a look. "He's one of the wealthiest men in the world- the shipping magnet, Gato." Kakashi's eye grew wide.

"Huh? Gato? Of Gato Shipping Transport?" He asked and I scratched my chin.

"Who?" I asked. "Care to fill me in here?" Tazuna sighed.

"Gato is a very powerful tycoon from a famous company, that's true." He began with suspense. "But below the surface, with the same ruthless methods he uses to take over businesses and nations, he sells drugs and contraband, using gangs and ninja. It was one year ago when Gato first set his sights on the Land of Waves. He came to our island and used his vast wealth to take total control of our transports and shipping. Anyone who tried to stand in his way simply disappeared."

"Wait, how can anyone have that much power?" I asked. "It takes _more _than a village to take one guy out? Seems unlikely to me. If you got enough people-"

"It doesn't matter how many people we have when Gato can just buy out anyone he wants." Tazuna interrupted me and I clenched my fists at the mere thought. "In an island nation- a man who controls the sea controls everything. If we tried to revolt, he would cut off our food imports and simply starve us to death."

"He's got to have some weakness." Sakura said and I nodded, hoping there was one. Tazuna nodded.

"Yes. The one thing he fears is the bridge." Tazuna said and I looked at the structure we were passing with it's big arches and massive bricks. "When it is complete, it will join us to the land and that will break his control." He looked at all of us with determination stretched across his face. "I am the bridge builder." There was a brief pause.

"So that's it." Sakura said and I raised an eyebrow. "You're in charge of the bridge, you're standing in this gangster's way."

"That means," Sasuke said. "Those guys we fought in the forest. They were working for Gato." I nodded. It made the most sense. Naruto scratched his head, lost in the conversation.

"I don't understand." Kakashi said. "If you knew he was dangerous, knew he'd send ninja to eliminate you, why did you hide that from us?" I wanted to know as badly as Kakashi did. How stupid could you be- asking for Genin to escort you around with assassins on your tail?

"Because the Land of Waves is a small and poor nation." Tazuna said solemnly. "Even our nobles have little money. The common people who are building this bridge, they can't pay for an A or B Ranked mission. It's too expensive. If you end the mission when you drop me ashore, there will be no bridge, they'll assassinate me before I reach home." We all just stared at him. "But don't feel bad about that..." He said. I felt a guilt trip coming on. "Sure, my sweet little grandson will be upset, he'll cry, 'Granddad! I want my Granddad!'. Oh and my daughter will condemn the ninja of the Hidden Leaves, denouncing and blaming you for abandoning her father and living her life in sorrow. Ah, well, it's not your fault, forget it."

This old man... he was good... Kakashi sighed and picked at his headband.

"Well, I guess we have no other choice. We'll have to keep guarding you." He said and I rolled my eyes. Did I feel pity for the guy? A little, sure. Do I think he can get away with what he did scotch-free? No way.

There was some time that passed, when the rower finally spoke up again.

"We're approaching the shore." He said and I glanced around to see that he was correct. "Tazuna, we've been very fortunate to have no one notice us so far." The old man he had addressed nodded.

"Nice going." He complimented in a surprisingly non-sarcastic way. We went through a stone arch to reveal many houses built on the water on the other side of it. The fog lifted, so we could see the trees that were growing out of the water. Naruto was clearly excited.

"That's as far as I go." The rower said when all of us stepped out of the boat and onto the pier. "Good luck."

"Right. Thank you for taking such a risk." Tazuna said.

"Just be careful." The rower returned and went back to his boat. He turned on the engine, turned the boat around and was off.

'There's no going back now.' I thought and took a deep breath in. 'You're going to have to be brave.' I nodded at my memo and turned to the group.

"Alright, take me to my home and I mean get me there in one piece." Tazuna ordered and I sighed. This was going to be brutal.

We started to walk off and eventually found a wide, dirt path that we had to follow. Kakashi and Tazuna were in the back, Sakura and I were in the middle, while Naruto and Sasuke were in the front of the group.

"Oh, I've been meaning to ask you something, Ayame-chan." Sakura said and I raised an eyebrow.

"Yes, Sakura-chan?" I asked, curious as to what could possibly be going on in her head. She looked at me as she spoke.

"What did it feel like?" she asked. I wasn't sure what she meant. "What did it feel like to punch that Chunin of the Mist?" I smirked.

"To be honest, it hurt my own hand." I said and she nodded. "Emotionally, however..." I said, but trailed off. I looked to the ground. "It made me feel as low as him. I punched him when he had no means of being able to fight back. I'm not proud because I did it to seek revenge and that's way overrated." I said, the glanced at Sakura who had a worried expression. "It's fine, though." I added and she nodded, not taking my word for it.

We remained quiet for sometime, when Naruto got his guard up and ran a few feet ahead of us. He quickly scanned the area and I tensed. I didn't hear anything, but could Naruto have seen something out of the ordinary?

"Over there!" He said and threw a kunai into some bushes. I relaxed, when I didn't hear anything. He was just being Naruto. "Hm. It was just a mouse." Sakura and Tazuna were recovering from their mini heart attacks.

"Mouse!?" Sakura fumed. "Yeah right! Everyone can see through your stupid act! You're so obvious it's embarrassing!" When she was done it was Kakashi's turn.

"Naruto, those are kunai knives." He stated. "They're dangerous." Now for Sasuke.

"Hn. Loser." And last, but not least, Tazuna.

"Stop trying to scare me, you scruffy, little dwarf!" He boomed and I chuckled lightly as Naruto began to look left and right.

"Naruto-kun, take it easy." I said, but not before he threw a kunai into the bushes. "Nii-san, relax, would you? You're making everyone else more tense than they need to be. It's a waste of your energy." He didn't listen, but Sakura punched him in the head after Kakashi revealed the creature that Naruto attacked. It was a little, snow white rabbit.

"Ah! I am so sorry little bunny!" Naruto wailed, while holding the rabbit in his arms. I shook my head and walked to Sasuke, seeing as he was the only normal one at the time.

"It's just a rabbit." I said. "I love animals, but they die every day and there's nothing we can do about it." I looked at Sasuke to see if he would add to the conversation, but he didn't.

I sighed and leaned against a tree. I closed my eyes and listened to my surroundings. I heard a faint voice- that didn't belong to anyone from our group- behind me and gasped loudly. I spun around and threw a kunai in the direction of the voice.

"Kakashi-sensei!" I cried as a huge sword came out of nowhere and sliced through the air as it spun.

"Look out!" My sensei cried and we all ducked out of the way before the blade could decapitate any of us.

It stopped when it became lodged in the trunk of a tree, with the handle sticking out to the side. There soon was a man who was standing on the handle of the stuck sword. He had on loose pants with purple stripes, no shirt, but sleeves with the same pattern as his boots, which were a strange brown pattern.. He had bandages on his face.

"Well, well." Kakashi said like he was old football teammates with the guy. "If it isn't Momochi Zabuza- rogue ninja of the Village Hidden in the Mist." Naruto simply raised an eyebrow at this fact as he began to lunge for the rogue ninja. However, he was thwarted by my sensei's hand. "you're in the way. Get back." He said under his breath.

"But why?" Naruto demanded.

"He's not like those other ninja." Kakashi said in a voice that said 'Listen to me or you will die' kind of way. "He's in a whole other league. if he's our opponent, I'll need this." Before any of us could ask what that meant,Kakashi began to lift the part of his headband that covered his left eye. "This could be treacherous."

"Kakashi Hatake of the Sharingan eye." The one called Zabuza said. "Did I get that right?" He asked in a somewhat mocking tone. "It's too bad, huh? But you'll have to hand over the old man."

"Everyone in Manji formation." Kakashi ordered. "Protect Tazuna. DO not interfere with the battle, understood?" He asked and I nodded, then stood next to Tazuna.

Kakashi officially lifted his headband to reveal his eye, which was red, but it had three small, black shapes in the irises. They looked like circles, but they had little tails- almost like my birthmark, except mine had two tails instead of just one.

"Fight me." Kakashi said in a menacing tone as Zabuza tilted his head to the right.

"I'm honored to see the Sharingan up close in battle." Zabuza said. I couldn't tell if he was being sarcastic.

"Sharingan, Sharingan, Sharingan." Naruto mocked. "That's all you've been saying, but what is it?" I shook my head. I've heard about the Sharingan kekkei genkai from books I've read. I looked over at Sasuke- for the Sharingan Dojutsu is a kekkei genkai which is passed down from the Uchiha clan.

"We'll explain it later." I said, positioning myself directly in between Zabuza and Tazuna. "But for now, you heard Kakashi-sensei. Manji formation." My teammates listened to my command and stood by me. Zabuza chuckled menacingly.

"Your pets are so interesting." The assassin commented. "So loyal. That girl, do I know her? There's a sense of familiarity." My eyes widened. Had I known him in the past? Was he a friend of my parents?

"Y-You know me?" I asked, dumbfounded. Kakashi made a halfway glance in my direction.

"Not another word, Ayame." He commanded and Zabuza snapped his fingers.

"Ayame. That's the name." He said and chuckled again, like I was part of some inside joke.

I clenched my fists and bared my teeth. I reached for a shuriken, when a hand stopped me in mid-grab. It belonged to Sakura, who was shaking her head at me, telling me to stop and let our sensei handle it. I reluctantly withdrew my hand, but had my kunai in the other. I was determined to get answers- one way or another.

"Leave my student out of this." Kakashi ordered. "This is between you and me. No one else." Zabuza only chuckled as the seven f us were engulfed in a dense fog.

"Enough talking." Zabuza said as were we smothered by the mist. "I need to eliminate the old man. Now." Tazuna let out a small gasp and my team and I raised our guards.

"Don't worry, bridge builder." Sakura said to him. "We made a promise to protect you with our lives, remember?" She was whispering, so the assassin wouldn't pick up on our conversation.

Kakashi held his ground, shooting daggers from his eyes at the ninja from the Mist. They were staring each other down, until Zabuza realized that this was going no where fast.

"I guess that means I'll have to eliminate you fist, huh, Kakashi?" He asked and the vapor became thicker. Suddenly, Zabuza was no longer in the tree, but he was standing on the river we were next to. And yes, he was standing on it- not in it. Sakura and Naruto were just as baffled as I was. Momochi Zabuza had a lot of chakra control- I'll give him that.

Zabuza had one hand in the air- where his middle and index finger were extended- and his other hand was by his face- where his middle and index finger were also extending, but they were in front of his lips. He stood there with fog twirling around him and then, he was gone.

"He vanished." Naruto stated the obvious.

"Sensei." Sakura said in a worried tone. I was equally worried, but I managed to keep my cool almost as well as Sasuke was.

"He'll come after me first." Kakashi said, turning towards me. "Ayame." He said and I understood what he meant. I nodded and got on my hands and knees, then pressed my ear into the ground with closed eyes.

"Huh? Ayame-chan, what are you-"

"Be quiet, Naruto-kun." I hissed and listened intently. I felt my teams eyes on me, but ignored them. "Stay very still, all of you." I ordered and they stopped.

I listened hard, but there was nothing. My highly trained ears only heard the familiar heartbeats of my team and Tazuna. I squeezed my eyes in frustration and stood back up.

"I... I can't hear anything, sensei." I said, looking at the ground. "I failed you." I saw Kakashi shake his head.

"I didn't expect you to hear anything, but I figured it was worth a shot." He said as I raised an eyebrow. "Momochi Zabuza is the ex-leader of the Jonin Assassination Team of the Mist. His specialty is silent killing. Rumor has it that it happens so fast, you pass for this life to the next without realizing what happened." My team gulped. "Oh well. At least if we fail we only lose our lives."

"How could you say that!?" Sakura demanded.

"Sakura-chan. Relax." I said in a soothing tone. "An unclear mind is fatal in the battlefield." She nodded as I got back into position, which was behind Tazuna, while Naruto was to his left, Sakura to the right and Sasuke up front.

"The mist is getting thicker and thicker." Naruto stated as we were intoxicated by the vapors.

"The Land of Waves is surrounded by ocean." Tazuna reminded him. "The swirling mist is ever present." I nodded. Pretty soon, Kakashi was gone, swallowed by the blanket of mist.

"Sensei!" Sakura cried. I wanted to glare at her, but I doubted that she could have seen it if I had.

"Eight points." A voice that sounded like Zabuza's said. I stiffened as I attempted to pinpoint his location.

"What's that?" Sakura asked. I wanted to slap my hand over her mouth, but I kept still, trying to focus my chakra in my ears.

"Larynx, spine, lungs, liver, jugular, subclavian artery, kidneys, heart." Zabuza listed off the easiest and least messy ways of killing us. I was so close to knowing where he was. I just need another word from his mouth. "Now, which will be my attack point?" Got him.

I clutched my kunai and threw it in the direction where I was certain he was standing. I heard leaves rustle and a metal clang.

"Damn it." I growled through bared teeth. He was just too fast. "I almost got you, didn't I?" I asked, trying to get him to reveal himself again. "But then again, you don't become the leader of the Jonin Assassination Squad by being slow, do you?" I slowly reached for a second kunai.

Kakashi, sensing my distress, no doubt, quickly made a single hand sign and used his own chakra to clear the area of the fog the surrounded us. I looked around and saw Sasuke freaking out. I stared in wonder as I saw him aim a kunai at himself. I felt my own eyes widen, but Kakashi said something before my teammate could do anything rash.

"Sasuke!" Kakashi pulled the Uchiha's head out of the clouds- or where ever the hell it was. "Calm down. I'll protect you with my life. All of you. I will not allow my comrades to die. Trust me." He turned his head to smile at us, but I had the feeling Sasuke wasn't buying it.

"Sakura-chan, switch places with me." I requested. She looked confused, but we quickly traded our positions. I needed to keep an eye on Sasuke and make sure he didn't lose it again.

"I wouldn't be so sure." Zabuza said from right behind me. "It's over."

I gasped, spun around and pulled Tazuna out of the way, while Kakashi confronted the man. He ran at full speed- which is pretty fast- at Zabuza, plunging a kunai into his midsection. I couldn't stop watching as a clear liquid poured out of the man Kakashi struck. It wasn't blood. it looked more like water. It must have been a water clone.

"Sensei! Behind you!" Naruto yelled as a second Zabuza popped up behind Kakashi. Zabuza grunted as he swung his massive sword at Kakashi, slicing him in half as it struck him. All he managed to do, however, cut cut some water. Kakashi used a water clone before Zabuza could scratch his head.

Kakashi used the Sharingan to depict Zabuza's next attack and used it against him. I smirked at my clever sensei.

"Don't move." Kakashi said as he held a kunai to Zabuza's throat. "Now it's over."


	6. Chapter 6

"Yeah! Kakashi-sensei!" Sakura cheered. I didn't dare let my guard down for one second. He was a Jonin of the Mist- those guys are highly skilled and I didn't want to celebrate too early. During Sakura's cheer fest, Zabuza released an amused and eerie chuckle.

"Finished?" Zabuza asked and I raised an eyebrow. There was a blade to his throat was he was taunting the one who held it? He needs to check himself into the room with the padded walls. "You really don't get it, do you? I'll never be defeated by a crude copy-cat ninja like you." Kakashi growled.

'You want to bet?' I said silently in my head as I quickly made my way over to Tazuna.

"You are full of surprises, though." Zabuza went on. "I'll give you that. You figured out my Water Clone tactic before I could even execute it. You made your clone give your little speech, to draw my attention, while you hid in the shadows, waiting for an opportunity to strike." There was a brief pause before the man spoke again. "Nice try, but I'm not that easy to fool."

Suddenly, there was another Zabuza standing directly behind my sensei. Kakashi's eyes were wide as he eliminated the water clone that was in front of him. I should have known. Clones don't have heartbeats, so I didn't hear it, but then again, I wasn't listening for one. Assumptions will be the death of you in the battle field.

Zabuza swung his sword and it lodged into the earth near Kakashi, but not striking him. Zabuza positioned his hands on the butt of the sword so he could easily swipe his feet to the point where he kicked Kakashi to the ground, leaving my sensei disoriented. I quietly gasped. How how Kakashi, of all people, be taken down?

"Now then." Zabuza said in his rough and low voice. "The old man."

I put myself between the assassin and Tazuna, keeping my word and intending on protecting the bridge builder with my life. I knew that if he died, Gato would lay waste to his village. Tazuna was the Village Hidden in the Waves' only hope and I wasn't about to let anything happen to him- not if I could help it. Zabuza chuckled.

"Ayame, right?" He asked and I bared my teeth. "My, my. I've only heard stories of you." My eyes widened.

"S-Stories?" I asked, dumbfounded. "Who told you these stories?" I demanded. Zabuza sighed.

"It's a shame." He said, having no intentions of answering my question. "You're going to die today, unless you step aside." I gripped my kunai.

"Looks like you're going to have to kill me, then!" I yelled as I held up my guard. "Good luck with that." I snarled at him.

Zabuza narrowed his eyes as he disappeared and reappeared to my right. His mouth was inches from my ear, so I heard his breathing as clear as a bell. I was frozen, knowing that if I made any sudden moves, Tazuna and I would both be dead. I heard Zabuza make a grunt sound, as if he was impressed with something.

"You're a smart one." He whispered. "You're not dying today." He promised and I felt a ringing pain in my jaw as I was sent flying into a tree ten feet away. The bastard punched me with the strength of an elephant.

"Ayame-chan!" I heard Sakura's voice cry.

I clutched the side of my face as I tried to stand, but I could only kneel. The hit was too great for my body to handle. I raised my eyes and met Zabuza's. I glared at him and used all my strength to ask a single question.

"Why did you... spare me?" I asked, voice faint. I could already feel my head begin to swim and my eyes grow heavy. The wind was literally knocked out of me.

"You're not mine to kill." Zabuza replied simply and the world went black.

**An hour later**

My eyes fluttered open and pain rushed in the side of my face. I raised my hand to the area and rubbed it, not believing that I was still alive. A trained assassin had the opportunity to kill me, but he didn't take it. He said I wasn't his to kill. Was he being honorable? Was he toying with me? Was there someone my family or I had crossed in my past that sought out revenge?

"Where the hell am I?" I asked quietly.

"You're in Tazuna's home." A voice answered me.

I slowly sat up and clutched my head, feeling a pounding ache that wouldn't go away for sometime. I glanced around the room and saw Kakashi lying on a floor mat that was on the other side of the room and my three other teammates at the foot of his mat. I attempted to stand, only to come falling to my knees.

"Nii-chan!" Naruto cried as he helped me up and sat me on the floor. "Are you okay?" I nodded.

"Hai, Naruto-kun." I said, even though I was in serious pain. "I'm alright. What happened to you, Kakashi-sensei? Did Zabuza get the drop on you, too?" I asked and he grunted.

"Not exactly." He said. "I assume you already have knowledge of the Sharingan, correct?"

"Hai." I nodded.

"Well, I overworked it while Zabuza got a few good hits in as well." He said. Basically, he was too proud to admit that he got the Kuso kicked out of him. "I'm sorry I let you get hurt, Ayame." I shook my head.

"No way. Don't you dare be sorry for me." I said, gluing my eyes to the floor. "I was in control of the situation and allowed myself to get hurt. If I tried to attack while Zabuza was so close to me and Tazuna-san, I would be responsible for both of our deaths. I'm the one that should be sorry, Kakashi-sensei." I squeezed my eyes shut as I tried to stand again.

"You really shouldn't be doing that, Ayame-chan." Sakura warned me. "You're weak and not strong enough to move around a whole lot." I clenched my fists.

"You want to bet?" I dared as I stood all on my own, fully erect. "How did we get here?" I asked.

"Tazuna-san and Naruto dragged Kakashi-sensei here and Sasuke-kun carried you when you got knocked out." Sakura explained. "Isn't he so considerate and thoughtful? He even protected your body during Kakashi-sensei's battle!" She complimented while drooling over the Uchiha.

I looked at Sasuke in disbelief while he kept his expressionless face. He protected... me? And did Sasuke really carry my dead weight body all the way here? I was surprised that Naruto didn't lug me to the house or protect me when I was vulnerable.

"Thanks, Sasuke-kun." I said and he simply nodded at me. I sighed then heard a noise come from my stomach. "Any Ramen in this place?" I asked. My stomach was begging for some attention.

"I could eat, too." Kakashi agreed and sat up, then clutched his own head. I smirked.

"Need a hand, sensei?" I asked before extending my right arm, but almost immediately let it drop to my side. I clutched my shoulder.

"Ayame, what's wrong?" Kakashi asked and I shook my head.

"I-It's nothing, Kakashi-sensei." I said then released the grip I had on my shoulder. "Just... sore form the impact, I guess." I tried to dismiss the burning sensation emanating from my birthmark. I've noticed that it was getting worse with each full moon, but I had no idea why.

"You landed on the other shoulder, Ayame-chan." Sakura said and I snapped my head to glare at her.

"Maybe we should focus on something more important than my tedious injury." I suggested with a firm tone. "Like feeding Kakashi-sensei, for example." I motioned towards the man I mentioned and Sakura nodded before walking over to him and helping him to his feet. I made my way for the door, but I was forced to pause when a hand stopped my movements.

"Do you want to tell me what that was all about?" Sasuke said, keeping his voice low.

"It's nothing, Sasuke-kun." I assured him. "Trust me." I added and he nonchalantly eyed me over before releasing his grip on my wrist and allowing me to hold the door open for Kakashi.

Naruto and Sakura helped Kakashi to his feet while Sasuke handed him a pair of crutches. He shuffled out the door and into a short hallway, where there was a kitchen at the end of it. As soon as I stepped into the narrow corridor, I was slapped in the face with the smell of food being cooked. My mouth began to water and I thought about pushing Kakashi out of the way so I could get a plate of whatever was being made, but I kept my cool and patiently waited for Kakashi to step into the kitchen first, before taking my own seat.

When we were all seated, a sudden thought came my way and I mentally face palmed because it didn't occur to me sooner.

"Kakashi-sensei, what happened to Zabuza?" I asked. "Did you kill him? Did he run off?" Kakashi shook his head.

"Not exactly." He said. "A tracker from the Mist killed him to keep the secrets of their very way of life a secret." I nodded in understanding.

"Did someone explain to Naruto-kun what a Sharingan eye is?" I asked and my sensei nodded. "Good. Now, how exactly did this battle play out?"

Kakashi spun me the tale of his fight with Zabuza, with Naruto's footnotes interjected in the story. I couldn't believe the epic display of teamwork Naruto and Sasuke performed. I doubt even I would have known what Naruto was thinking. I was thoroughly impressed.

"Oh and one more thing." Kakashi said after his story was complete. "Zabuza is still alive." I almost choked on the tea I was drinking. "Don't worry, just because I'm... weaker than usual... doesn't mean that I can't still train you." I raised an eyebrow, but didn't say another word.

After we ate and got our energy back, Kakashi dragged the team into a wood area, not too far from Tazuna's house. He said we were to work on our chakra control by climbing trees... without using our arms. When Naruto asked him how on Earth we were supposed to do that, Kakashi focused his chakra to his feet and walked up a tree. Even when he's not so good, my sensei is good.

I was alright at controlling my chakra, but I'm used to focusing it in my ears so I can listen for any potential signs of danger. Making go to my feet would be a completely different experience.

We were to mark how high we got up the tree without using our hands each time we went up. After we did fall, we were to go again and try to get higher than before. The idea was to get to the top of your tree, no matter how long it took.

"Alright, let's do this!" Naruto cheered. I picked up the kunai that Kakashi threw to my feet warily. Naruto took a glance at my expression and took pity on me. "Nii-chan, are you able to do this? I mean, you're still weak and all. I don't want you to get hurt more than you are." I gripped the kunai and looked at my tree.

"Naruto has a point." Kakashi sighed. "Maybe you should take it easy."

I clenched my other fist as I charged at the tree in front of me. I ran up the tree and good twelve feet before marking my highest point and jumping back to the ground.

"Does it look like I need to take it easy?" I asked, teeth bared. "I can handle it." I growled and stood erect, daring all of them to try to prove me wrong. Kakashi made a somewhat impressed noise. It was the same noise that Zabuza made.

"Did you even attempt to control your chakra?" He asked. "You took such a brief pause to direct it into the soles of your feet and you still made it that high? You're right. I think you can handle it." I was not expecting that.

"Good job, Ayame-chan." Sakura said, giving me a thumbs up. I looked at Naruto who was smiling at me, while Sasuke kept his cool expression under wraps. I rolled my eyes at the lot of them.

"Whatever." I mumbled. I was a lot like Naruto. I hated it when people thought I was weak and hated it even more when people took pity on me. I'd rather die at the hands of Zabuza himself than have pity be taken on me.

"Well, that little tantrum aside." Kakashi said and I rolled my eyes for a second time before taking my original position, ten feet from my tree. "Let's begin. Again."

I took a deep breath and made the sign of the Ram **(A/N 'O-hitsuji' is the Japanese word for Ram)** to focus my chakra. I closed my eyes and when I thought my feet were ready, a ran for it. My teammates followed my action and also ran for their trees. When I went the second time, I made it thirteen feet off the ground- a foot higher than my initial attempt.

After I marked my tree and made it back on the ground, I took a look at Sasuke's progress. He got up to about ten or eleven feet before he came down. I looked over at where Naruto was and saw his lying on his back. He didn't use enough chakra and barely made it up the tree. I looked on the ground for Sakura, but I couldn't find her.

"Hey!" I heard her voice from above. "This is really fun!" She made it to the top of her tree in the first try. I was awe struck.

"Yeah, Sakura-chan!" Naruto cheered. "That's my girl!" Sasuke seemed almost envious of her chakra control. I was too, but still.

"Way to go, Sakura-chan!" I called, to let her know that she was doing a good job. Knowing that she could do that gave me the drive I needed to do better.

"Hm. It seems that the female team members are having an easier time at controlling their chakra, but Sakura takes the cake." Kakashi commented. "We talked about a certain someone becoming Hokage someday, but Sakura is the one that seems most likely to be Hokage. And the Great Uchiha Clan doesn't seem so Great."

"Enough, Kakashi-sensei!" Sakura called, not wanting Sasuke to hate her. "You talk too much!"

I chuckled at this. My mood was enlightened to see Kakashi so proud of one of his students and to see Sakura excel at something that was rather difficult. It made my happy to see my teammates thrive and achieve their goals. It also gave me a boost in wanting to be great at something as well.

I got into my position and closed my eyes. I focused extremely hard and was about ready to charge, but I heard footsteps running in my direction. I didn't even bother trying to see who it was and I grabbed their wrist and flipped them over, shoving their face in the dirt as I pinned their arm behind their back.

"N-Nii-chan!" It was Naruto I had in my grasp. I groaned and released the blonde boy then helped him to his feet.

"You should know better by now than to go sneaking up on me." I said, wagging a finger at him. "Especially if there is a trained assassin trying to kill us all." Naruto gave me a confused look.

"But Zabuza said you weren't his to kill." He recollected. "Doesn't that mean he won't be the one to kill you?" I stared at him. It was completely silent in the wooded area we were in.

"What do you want, Nii-san?" I asked, ignoring his question. He rubbed the back of his head, knowing he said something he shouldn't have.

"Oh, uh, I was just wondering if you could tell me how you control your catch-rah so easily." He said nervously. He was afraid that he would strike another nerve and really set me off. I made a small smile.

"Sure." I sighed. "And it's chakra, not catch-rah." I pointed out and he pouted.

"Whatever." He whined. "As long as you know what I mean." I chuckled a bit and nodded.

I sat down, crossing my legs, and motioned for Naruto to join me. I put my hands on my knees and Naruto mimicked my pose. I looked into his eyes as I explained the basics again, but in a way I was sure he would understand.

"What you really have to do," I said, "Is make sure that you are in control of your energy. You are the body, the leader if you prefer, and you control it, not the other way around."

"I don't think I get it." He said, scratching his head. "Am I just supposed to boss it around and tell it what to do?" I nodded.

"Precisely." I said. I pointed at my ear. "Take me, for example. Whenever I want to amplify my hearing, I tell my chakra to go into my ear for I can hear better. I used this technique when I tried to find where Zabuza was when the mist got really thick." I explained and he nodded.

"Oh, okay!" He said excitedly and closed his eyes. I smiled and patted his head.

"I'll leave you to it, then." I said and got up.

I strolled over to my tree and stared it down. I inhaled deeply and focused the chakra in my feet. After a brief pause, I was ready. I gripped my kunai as I dashed up the tree, making it up around sixteen feet, before I lost control and fell. As I was falling, I was sure I wouldn't be able to stick the landing. My body was in a strange position and I couldn't fix it.

I came crashing into another body. I looked around and saw that I wasn't on the ground, but I was in the arms of the Uchiha boy. His black eyes looked into mine as I struggled to be free of his hold. When I was standing on my own, I dusted myself off.

"Thanks for the save, Sasuke-kun." I said. "I owe you one."

"Actually, you owe me three." He said with a... smirk? "You should be more careful. I'm not going to be there to rescue you all the time, Ayame-chan." He said and I think I blushed a little.

"Um, yeah, well..." I was at a loss for words. "Thanks anyway."

"Alright." Kakashi said, breaking the awkwardness. "Since Sakura knows what she's doing, she is going to keep an eye on Tazuna while I regain my strength. The rest of you will keep at it." He decided and we all nodded in acceptance.

He casually walked down his tree while Sakura leaped off of hers and landed right next to him. The two of them then exited the woods and went back to Tazuna's house. I sighed and stood in front of my tree. My other teammates were quiet, but they still didn't hear the shuffling in the bushes that I did. Based on the volume and amount of sound I picked up, it was either an animal or a small child.

"Hm." I quietly huffed. "Hey, guys, did Tazuna-san have a grand kid or something?" I asked and Naruto nodded.

"Yeah, the kid's a jerk." He pouted. "He said that there were no such things as heroes and blah blah blah." He whined and I shook my head.

"Is that so?" I asked. I listened carefully as I heard small footsteps walk away from where we were.

"Yeah, but what does he know?" Naruto asked, then sat on the ground to rest. "I mean he's just a little brat. He doesn't know anything about being a ninja."

"Keep talking like that and I'm going to start thinking that you don;t know what it means either." I sighed and Naruto blinked. "By that, I mean he's just a kid and if you going around judging people..." I stopped myself and changed my tone. "Look, he's just a kid. Let it go, Nii-san." Naruto folded his arms across his chest and continued to pout.

I sighed and sat on the ground, crossing my legs. I bit my tongue because I knew that Naruto was the most judged person in the village. Aside from me, that is. I didn't want to tell him he had no right to judge when people did that to him all the time, so I let it go. I'm not going to jump in between him and the kid if they get into it, but I will try to talk them down.

I closed my eyes and let my mind wander, taking a needed break from the training.


	7. Chapter 7

I really wanted to forget everything for just five minutes, but sadly, I didn't have that luxury. I had to find out what Zabuza meant. 'You're not mine to kill.' What in the name of Kami does that mean? I dug deep, trying to find some spark of a memory that had a fight or feud in it. Maybe that would help me to figure out what this huge mystery was.

"Nii-chan!" I heard Naruto's voice and I snapped my eyes open. My investigation would have to wait. I looked for him as he appeared at my side.

"Yes, Nii-san?" I asked and he ginned hugely and pointed at his tree. There was a mark on it that was about nine feet up. I smiled. "Good for you. You did it!"

"Yeah, thanks to you!" He said and I smiled a bit bigger. I stood up and placed a hand on the shoulder of my brother.

"You did the work. I only helped you get there." I said and he chuckled.

I let my hand slide off of his shoulder and strolled over to my own tree. I sighed as I looked at my two slash marks. I then closed my eyes and made my hand sign to control my chakra. I started to feel something, but it was the burning on my birthmark. I quietly groaned and massaged the area to sooth it. This usually helps. I would seriously have to ask Kakashi or Iruka about this.

"Ayame-chan." I heard a voice from behind me and footsteps coming towards me. I rolled my eyes, knowing who the voice belonged to, and turned to meet the gaze of Sasuke.

"Hai?" I asked, trying not to sound completely oblivious. He stopped when he was about two feet in front of me.

"When are you doing to tell me what's going on with you?" He asked, voice monotone as ever. I kept my face cool and collected, just like what he was doing.

"I don't know what you're talking about, Sasuke-kun." I said. "Is there something wrong?"

"Hn. Don't take me for a fool." He said.

"I don't."

"Then don't attempt to lie to me, Ayame-chan."

Argh. I was getting pissed. Why can't he just leave me alone?

"Why can't you just leave me alone?" I asked. Sasuke exhaled through his nostrils.

"That's not how it works." He said and I raised an eyebrow.

"Oh?"

"We're of the same village. We're of the same team. We're friends. You can trust me." He reasoned. "I need to know if there is anything I can do to help you."

Whoa, whoa, back up for a second. Friends? He actually admitted it? I decided to stab my thumb with my middle finger's nail to see if I was dreaming. Ouch. I was awake.

"It's not a matter of trust." I sighed and put my hand on my hip. "I may or may not tell you later, Sasuke-kun. For now, let's just train." I said and he nodded, then walked away.

Ugh, he is so good at holding his emotions away from his face! I wish I could do that more easily. Oh, well. I turned back to my tree and focused all over again. I would have to hide my seering pain for the day to keep everyone's suspicious eyes off of me. I narrowed my eyes at the tree and sprinted forward, running up the tree and going twenty feet up it before back flipping off of it.

"Nice one, Ayame-chan!" Naruto called to me and I smiled.

I didn't bother looking up at him. I was in the zone.

We went on training until, after an hour, I ran up a tree and didn't come done. I made it to a high branch. I finally did it!

"Hey, Naruto-kun!" I called down to him. He looked up in the direction in my voice and smiled hugely. "I know I was always taller than you, but this is ridiculous!" I laughed. I was so happy that I measured up to Sakura. He pouted, but I saw the corners of his lips threatening to smile.

"Good for you, Nii-chan." Naruto grumbled, but there was obvious pride in his voice. I smiled and leaned on the trunk of the tree. I slid down until I was sitting on the branch and my legs were outstretched in front of me. I exhaled, tired.

"Kitai-san would be proud of me." I whispered, closing my eyes.

I was certain that she would be. I so desperately wanted to find her, to ask her questions, to know everything about her. As soon as I could remember enough information about her and my family, I knew I could find her. I just had to work hard. I had to work the hardest I've ever worked in my life. This was my mother I was talking about.

I focused on the image of her face I had found a few weeks ago. I studied it and memorized it, taking in every feature and beautiful flaw. Then, something hit me like a brick wall. A new image appeared, but it wasn't my mother. It was a young boy, no older than four, standing over me. He had short, black hair but the exact same hazel eyes Kitai had. Was he my brother? His face was twisted with disgust and hatred. Was that directed toward me?

A million questions rushed into my head, making my lose my focus, along with the little boy. Who was he? Why did he look so upset? How did he know me? Where was he now? Where was Kitai when this was happening?

'Okay,' I thought, eyes now open, but narrowed in focus and determination. 'I can guess that that memory was when I was an infant, possibly a newborn, and that was thirteen years ago. So, the little boy is seventeen or eighteen now, depending on what month he was born in.' Another million questions.

Did he know I was alive? Is he looking for me? Did I have any other siblings? And so on. This is going to be one headache I don't want to deal with, but I have to. For the truth. For my family. For myself. When I find my family, I can finally show everyone that I'm normal. I had a life. I wasn't a freak.

"Ayame-chan." I heard Sasuke call for me. I looked down and saw him looking up at me. "It's getting late. We need to get back to Tazuna's house." I looked up and saw that the sky had darkened. How long had I been out of it?

"Hai, Sasuke-kun." I said and leapt from my tree limb to land next to him. I was about a foot away from the Uchiha. "Where is Naruto-kun?" I asked.

He pointed over my shoulder. I turned to see Naruto, curled up in a ball next to a bush. I smiled and sighed. I was going to have to wake this boy up. I walked over to him and knelt next to him. I lightly shook his shoulders.

"Nii-san." I said softly. "Wake up, Naruto-kun." He groaned quietly and slowly opened his eyes.

"Hm?"

"We have to go, now. Come on." I said and gripped Naruto's hand as I guided him to his feet. He rubbed his eyes as he stood and yawned.

"Let's go." Sasuke said and walked off. I sighed quietly and released my grip on Naruto.

We walked back to the home of Tazuna in silence. Naruto was tired, Sasuke wasn't one for conversation and I was wrapped up in my own thoughts. I decided to write down everything I remember and work on remembering more after the mission was completed. It was too risky for my mind to wander in a situation such as this. I could get my team and I killed. We made it to Tazuna's home and saw Kakashi, Tazuna, Sakura, Tazuna's daughter and some kid sitting at the dinner table. The kid must have been the grandchild.

"Well, I was beginning to wonder when you'd all show up." Kakashi said and we sat down.

I sat with Sakura to my right and Naruto to my left. Sasuke was in front of me and the child was to his right. Kakashi and Tazuna sat at either head of the table. Tazuna's daughter would sit in the empty chair next to Sasuke.

"Sorry, Kakashi-sensei." I apologized and bowed my head.

"You should be pleased to know that we all made it to the top of the trees." Sasuke said and I stared at him.

They both made it? I didn't even notice. I looked at Naruto who was now beaming at himself. I was seriously out of it. Sakura nudged me and I looked back at her.

"Good job, Ayame-chan." She congratulated me. "You too, Sasuke-kun. And... Naruto..." She said and I smiled.

"Ayame-chan was the first person to make it up, though." Sasuke said and I rolled my eyes. I don't like being put down, but I don't like being acknowledged either. Kakashi turned to me.

"Impressive." He said in a voice I couldn't read. I blinked, but remained silent.

"Yeah, Nii-chan helped me get to the top!" Naruto said with a growing grin. "I did it! Believe it!" I mentally cursed him.

"Well, that's all fine and dandy, but how's that going to help me?" Tazuna asked and I bit my tongue to keep myself from saying anything I would regret. "I doubt there will be a tree to climb when I'm being attacked." Kakashi chuckled wryly.

"It will help them control their chakra for any type of situation." Kakashi explained. "Ayame, for example, can use her chakra in her ears to find valuable information or fight while she's blind. It's an important skill to have when you need to anticipate someone's move." I felt judgmental eyes on me and I turned to face them.

'Just like in the village.' I thought.

"Good hearing, ne?" Tazuna asked and I nodded. He cupped his hand around his mouth and whispered very quietly. "Can you hear this, brat?" No one else heard him. I clenched my teeth and nodded. Tazuna dropped his hand to reveal a smirk. "_Impressive." _He said sarcastically. "Now, you can hear gossip behind your back." I glared at him and Sakura gently touched my arm. I shrugged her away from me and stood up.

"I've lost my appetite." I turned my back. "Call me if I'm needed, Kakashi-sensei. I'm bound to hear it." I growled the last sentence and left without another word.

I didn't want to be in that house. I didn't want to be in that village. Tazuna didn't know me- he didn't know my team, my friends. He's a bastard. Why am I protecting him again? Because he's the only one who can save his village? Argh, why is this such an obligation? I went into a room and saw my pack, along with Sakura's. I assumed we would be sharing this room, so I stepped in and lied down on a mat. I shut my eyes and just ignored everything. Just for once.

**The Next Morning**

I didn't remember having any dreams or even Sakura coming in. It worked. My shunning of the universe paid off, because I finally got a few hours of peace. I so desperately needed that. I sat up on my mat and stretched my arms. I touched my toes, which were stretched out in front of me. I looked over at Sakura's still sleeping body and debated whether or not to wake her. I decided against it. She needed as much sleep and energy as she could get.

I stood up and made my way to the door when I heard a very familiar voice from the other side of the wall. I froze and listened.

"Why couldn't I beat that creep?" It was Naruto. What was he talking about? "Why the kuso are we protecting him?" There was another person with him. I heard the breathing of another person.

"Hn. Ayame-chan is a lot tougher than she looks." It was Sasuke? What the kuso? "She can handle Tazuna."

Oh. They were talking about what happened last night. I rolled my eyes and boldly opened the door of the room I was in. I stepped out into the hallway and saw Sasuke leaning on the wall and Naruto standing in the center of the corridor with his arms across his chest. I saw Sasuke tense in the slightest as I walked towards him and my Nii-san.

"Don't." I said in a hushed tone. "Naruto-kun, drop it. Sasuke-kun, you too." I ordered and passed them to get to the kitchen where I had a feeling Kakashi was.

"Ayame-chan." I heard from behind me and Sasuke (I knew it was him because his voice was close to my ear) gently gripped my right shoulder. The burning was back and I shoved Sasuke's hand off of me.

"Don't." I repeated, gripping my shoulder. I ignored whatever it was he had to say and continued my trek to the kitchen.

"Sasuke, Naruto, Ayame." Kakashi's voice called in a calm manner. "Get in here." I turned back to glare at the boys as I walked towards my sensei's voice.

"Hai, Kakashi-sensei." We said in a unison and bowed.

"Enough of that." Kakashi said. I noticed he was the only one in the room. It was still early, so I'm sure everyone else was asleep. "Bickering will get us nowhere. Ayame, I would like to speak with you after breakfast, understood?" I slightly scowled and nodded.

"Kakashi-sensei!" Naruto said in and annoyed voice. "It wasn't Ayame-chan's fault that Tazuna-san is a-"

"Naruto, mind your words." Kakashi said, voice still content. "Don't worry, your friend isn't in trouble. Can't a teacher just have a word with his student?" No.

Naruto pouted as another body bumped into him.

"Hey, watch it, brat." Tazuna barked. I clenched my fists and took a deep breath, trying very hard to control myself. "Move it." He said and shoved Naruto away. He fell towards me and I caught him in my arms.

"It's okay." I whispered, feeling Naruto getting more tense with each passing second. Naruto straightened his posture and dusted himself off.

Everyone else woke up soon after that. Tazuna's daughter- I wish I'd caught her name- was making breakfast as the rest of us sat where we sat last night. I kept sneaking glances of Tazuna, mentally daring him to say something.

"So," The man I mentioned started to say. "How'd you sleep, hearing brat?" He asked and I remained silent, not egging him on. "Huh? Hey, I'm talking to you." He looked right at me and I still refused to speak. Tazuna grunted. He muttered something very softly, but, of course, I could hear him. "Damn brat." I closed my eyes and sighed quietly.

The food was served and we ate in silence. I had nothing to say and nothing I wanted to hear. After we were all finished, Tazuna announced that he was going to get some groceries and Kakashi told Sakura to guard him, seeing as an assassin probably wouldn't strike around a ton of people. They left and I was helping to clear the table, when my sensei pulled me aside. We went into the woods and walked around aimlessly. I was silent during our outing, until Kakashi spoke.

"Ayame," He started. "I know things are hard for you. Of course, I've noticed. Don't ever think you can't talk to me about anything or think that the people of our village are all right about you." He insisted. Now was as good a time as any.

"Actually, there is something I need to ask you." I said, a bit nervous. Kakashi raised his eyebrow, telling me to go on. "Do you know about my...birthmark?" I asked, hiding my awkwardness. He shook his head and I sighed, then moved my right sleeve down to expose my shoulder. "You see, it hurts sometimes." I said. I was looking for any sign of surprise, but none were present. "What do you think that means?"

Kakashi hesitated before answering. "No. You should ask Iruka." He said and I sighed then recovered my birthmark.

He was lying. Stalling to gain more time. I didn't want to tell him that I knew, because I wanted to know if Iruka knew anything too. I needed to find him when we got to the village before Kakashi did. I didn't want them to get their story straight before I got a chance to squeeze the truth out of him.

"Is that all?" He asked, fishing for something. I shook my head. "Very well. Oh and don't let Tazuna get to you. He's just intimidated by you and everyone else." I laughed wryly.

"I'll believe it when I hear it." I muttered. Kakashi sighed and our walk back to the house was silent.


	8. Chapter 8

When we arrived back at the house, Sasuke and Naruto were gone, training I'd assumed. I sighed when Kakashi told me to find them, but nodded anyway. I could easily hear their heartbeats if I focused my chakra, but finding them was so troublesome.

I started off into the woods for the third time in two days. I was listening for the familiar thumps of Sasuke and Naruto's hearts while thinking about home. I was thinking about all the people I knew. I don't know if they thought of me as a friend, but I could easily put names to titles. Hinata, Kiba, Shino, Choji, Shikamaru and Ino. They were all really decent to me and I had nothing bad to say about them. As my thoughts floated about in my head, the thuds became louder and louder.

_Ba-bum. Ba-bum. Ba-bum._

I started to jog until the heartbeats were so close, the rhythm was pounding in me ears. I dismissed the chakra I was using and began to search with my eyes.

"Nii-san!" I called. "Sasuke-kun!"

"Over here." The clam and deep voice of Sasuke informed me.

He was an estimated forty meters away. I turned to the direction of his voice and jogged toward it. I heard grunts belonging to Naruto and knew I was close. I was about to say something, when I heard rustling above my head. I looked up in time to see Sasuke swing down and land on a branch...upside down. My eyes widened for a split second, but I regained control just as quickly as I lost it.

"Hello." Sasuke said. I swear, there was a smirk on his face. I raised an eyebrow.

"Do I want to know?" I asked.

"Hn. Jealous?" He asked.

Me? Jealous? Jealous of what, his skill? I've always been just a tad envious of his incredible strength, but I wasn't going to let him know that any time soon. I thought it was pretty impressive that he was defying gravity, but I'm sure I could have figured out how to do it if I wanted to.

"Um...no." I said, monotone. "Kakashi told me to find you two." I looked over my shoulders. "Where the kuso is Naruto-kun?"

"Up here, Nii-chan!" I heard his voice call from above. I looked up and saw him on a branch that, must have been, sixty feet high! "Look at me! I did it! Believe it!" My jaw dropped and my eyes were wide.

"Wow." I breathed. "You sure did. How long have you guys been at this?" I asked and Sasuke shrugged and flipped so he was on the ground with me.

"A while." Wow, he is _so _descriptive. "Why did you need to find us, Ayame-chan?"

"I don't know." I shrugged. "I guess since you both are training so hard, I shouldn't drag you back to Tazuna-san's home. But, then again, I shouldn't go back alone...I might as well watch you guys train."

"Watch us?" Sasuke repeated, slightly shifting his weight. I nodded.

"Are you okay with that?" I asked, sensing a bit of unease from him. "Does it make you uncomfortable, Sasuke-kun?"

Sasuke cleared his throat in the most nonchalant way you can imagine and shook his head. I shrugged and made my way over to a nice, thick tree trunk to sit next to. When I did, I slipped a small, paperback book out of my left pocket. It was entitled _Ninj__utsu; An Essential Ninja Tool. _I was brushing up on it before the mission and thought I might have some time for leisure reading, but I had to learn something new. Zabuza won't let us win easily. He will kill us when he gets the chance. I will not allow him to harm my team.

"Alright." I sighed and looked in the Table of Contents.

1. _Earth Style_ 1-6

2. _Water Style_ 7-12

3. _Wind Style_ 13-19

4._ Lightning Style_ 20-25

5. _Fire Style_ 26-31

6. _Summoning_ 32-40

7. _Shadow Clone _41-47

I stared at number six. Summoning jutsu? What in the name of kuso is that? I decided to find out by flipping to page thirty two. I looked at the picture that was provided. It was a man with the palm of his hand on the ground. In the next panel, there was a cloud of smoke encasing the man. In the third and final panel, the was a huge monkey in the same spot where the man held his hand at. I stared in awe. I looked at my teammates who were walking effortlessly up and down the trees. Were we capable of such a great power? If anyone was going to find out, it was going to be me.

_Before an animal summoning can be performed, a prospective summoner must first sign a contract with a given species. The contract comes in the form of a scroll, on which the contractor uses their own blood to sign their name and place their fingerprints and once signed it is valid even after the contractors death as long as the contract itself remains intact. After this they need only offer an additional donation of blood on the hand they signed the contract with, mold their chakra with hand seals and then plant the hand they signed the contract with at the location they wish to summon the creature. The amount of chakra used during the summoning determines how powerful the summoned creature can be. _( wiki/Summoning_Technique for more information)

"Where am I supposed to find a contract?" I wondered aloud.

"A what?" Naruto asked me as he was hanging from a tree. I awkwardly put my hand on the back of my head.

"Nothing, Naruto-kun." I responded. I was going to figure this out on my own.

I started actually considering doing this. Binding myself for all eternity with another species that I can call upon at any given time. I wanted to decide which animal I would choose. I wanted a mammal, mainly because birds, reptiles and amphibians just aren't my thing. A fast one, so that rules out sloths and porcupines. I smiled at myself. Okay, so fast, brave, noble, strong. Of course, those were all essential traits of shinobi. I started to ponder.

Bears? They aren't extremely fast. Lions? Cheetahs? Leopards? I really hate cats. Stubborn, I know, but I just don't care for felines. Horses? That's just crazy.

I was thinking about it for sometime, before the answer slapped me across the face. It was so obvious. Wolves. Though they travel in packs, wolves still work fluently alone. It was genius! I actually happen to really like wolves, too, and that just made it better. I don't know what it is about wolves, I just think they're really special.

I sighed and slipped my book back into my pocket and got to my feet.

"Boys!" I called. I waited patiently for a moment until Sasuke and Naruto both appeared before me. "We should get going. You've trained quite enough, you both need to rest."

I expected them to resist, but they didn't. All they did was bow as if I were a sensei who had just given them orders. I merely raised an eyebrow at this gesture and turned my back to start walking. As soon as they were out of my sight, I heard one of them swing their arm i my direction. I quickly grabbed their wrist before they made contact with my body.

"Gah!" I heard Naruto choke out when I began twisting his arm. I released him and spun around to glare at him.

"What in hell is your problem?" I asked. Naruto whimpered and stuck out his bottom lip.

"Well, if I have any chance of beating this Zabuza guy, I should be able to beat you, too!" He whined. "I was just training!"

"Baka!" I called him. "You can't be serious."

He nodded and I turned around to storm off. I heard them following me and my pace quickened to a stride, then a jog, then a run and finally, I found myself sprinting out of the forest. I was annoyed and I knew the others were following because I heard their footsteps, so I didn't bother slowing down or checking over my shoulders. I just wanted to get out of there and ask Kakashi about the contracts.

I made it back to Tazuna's home fairly quickly. Being a ninja, it takes quite a lot for me to lose my breath, like a battle, but running at top speed wasn't that big of a deal. I cautiously opened the door, so as not to startle anyone, and saw Kakashi reading a book while sitting, with legs outstretched, on the floor. Tazuna and Sakura had not yet returned, so we were momentarily alone.

"Hello, Ayame." He called, not looking up from his latest Icha Icha novel.

I bowed, stepped into the house and slowly closed the door behind me. I walked to Kakashi and stopped at his feet. I sat in my knees before him. I cleared my throat and he peered over his reading material and sighed.

"Is there something I can help you with, Ayame?" He asked, setting down his book on his lap. I nodded.

"Hai, Kakashi-sensei." I affirmed. "I was just curious about animal binding contracts."

His eyes- err, eye widened. Was he not expecting me to know what they were? I would have found out soon enough.

"What about them?"

"Where can I find them? Is there a place I can buy one?"

"Where did you hear about them?"

"This book." I took my book out of my pocket and handed it to my sensei. He took it and examined the cover before sighing.

"Ayame-"

"Please don't say I can't handle it." I interrupted him, fearing anymore rejection. "I know it takes a lot of chakra, but I think...I _know _I can do it. I can pull it off! I know I can, I just-"

"I wasn't going to question your abilities." I was cut off by my sensei. I felt my eyes widen.

"You...weren't?" I asked and he nodded.

"Ayame, these contracts are for life, as you know. I was just going to ask if you were sure about linking an entire species to your soul for the rest of your life." Kakashi leaned forward. "I have absolutely no doubt in you, Ayame."

I felt my cheeks get hot. I've ever heard those words directed at me before. I've heard it when other students are praised by their own sensei, but I never imagined Kakashi Hatake would say it to me. It made my heart rate increase and my breathing uneven.

"Hai, Kakashi-sensei. I'm sure. One hundred percent sure." I was so excited to have someone believe in me, I lost my composure, but I quickly regained it by taking a deep breath. Kakashi's eye creased from a smile and he chuckled once.

"Alright. What did you have in mind?" He asked. I smiled.

"Well, here's where I think you may be able to help me." I started. "I understand you can summon ninja dogs for search teams, and I was wondering if you knew a place where I could get a wolf contract."

Kakashi smiled again. He reached into the breast pocket of his vest and pulled out a scroll.

"Wolves, huh?" He chuckled. "I think I may have just the thing."

The blood pounded in my head. I was about to sign myself over to a different species. Forever. I would be able to use them to my will. I would be able to call them to my aid whenever I see fit. It was all so exciting and terrifying at the same time.

"Here." I was pulled out of my thoughts.

Kakashi held out the scroll, but it was unraveled and at a portion where the was a small picture of a wolf and several other blood stains, from where people signed the paper, underneath it. There was enough room for me to sign my name in my own blood, sealing the contract and binding me to wolves forever. It was a lot to take in, so I took a deep breath.

"Are you sure about this?" Kakashi asked again. I looked at him, then at the paper. I nodded and bit my thumb open so it drew blood.

"Where do I sign?" I asked jokingly and he gestured towards the paper. I confidently slid my thumb across the paper, forming my name as the blood spread across the page.

"There. Its done." Kakashi said. I lifted my thumb off the pape and he looked at me with warm eyes. "Congratulations."


	9. Chapter 9

I did it! I signed the contract and now I can command wolves! I was so excited, I almost shouted with glee, something Sakura would have done for sure, but I kept my composure, remembering that the contract is only in effect if the physical contract is in tact. I took a deep breath and looked at Kakashi thoughtfully.

"Thank you, Kakashi-sensei." I said as calmly as I could. He smiled and nodded.

"You're welcome." He replied and leaned back against the wall. "Oh and where is Naruto and Sasuke? I trust you didn't come empty handed."

Oh yeah. I had almost forgotten about those two. Last time I checked, they were right behind me, but they hadn't yet entered the house. I regretted raising my voice at Naruto. His 'training' ought to be flattering, but, all in all, I just thought it was...annoying.

"I'll go check." I said, rising to my feet. "They should be near."

Tazuna's home was built on a very large dock, so it sat on the water, but, if you walked down the path of wooden boards, you would reach land that lead to the woods where we were training. As I stepped out of the house and onto the dock, I thought I'd have to search around, but instead, there was Naruto playing with a butterfly he must have found and Sasuke was lying on his back, looking up at the sky.

I sighed and sat in between the pair, Sasuke turned his head and looked up at me as I looked down at him. He looked so small, and rather vulnerable. This wasn't normal for him. Maybe he was just trying to relax, but something just felt different.

"Ayame-chan..." A nervous voice, belonging to Naruto, said. "Gomenozai. I'm sorry."

"It's fine, Nii-san." I sighed as I turned my head in his direction. "I had a lot on my mind and just had to snap at something. If it wasn't you, it would have been Sasuke-kun or Sakura-chan or maybe even Kakashi-sensei."

"Really?" He asked and I nodded. He smiled and stood up. "I'm gonna try to find me some Ramen!"

He walked inside the house and left Sasuke, who sat up, and I alone. In silence. I don't know what I was expecting. A sound? A gesture? A meteor? I don't know. All he did was stare at me, assessing me. As if he was pondering on the world's worst paradox. I cleared my throat as I spun around, while still being seated, and lied down next to him, our heads resting along side each other.

"Sasuke-kun, is something the matter?" I asked while looking up at the sky. Our heads were about a foot and half apart, but I could still feel him boring a whole in the side of my head.

"Not at all." He replied, voice smooth. I heard him shuffle, which told me he was lying down again, facing the clouds that were rolling in.

"Were you not just studying me a minute ago?" I asked, trying to get under his skin.

"Hn. I was just looking."

"For what?"

"Nothing in particular. Just looking."

I sighed and closed my eyes. I listened to my surroundings. The distant chirping of birds, the weak currents of the water, the wind whistling through the air. It all felt so serene. So calm. I could have fallen asleep, the warm sun beating down on me. I could have easily released all of my worries.

Until I remembered we were being hunted down by a skilled assassin.

I bolted upright and looked around us frantically. I was on my feet before the ever-so-fast Sasuke could even react. By the time he was standing next to me, I already had a kunai in my grasp.

"What's wrong?" He asked, reaching for his own kunai. "Are we about to ambushed?"

"No." I shook my head. "I mean, it's possible? I don't know. Zabuza has the incredibly rare skill of deceiving my ears and telling them he's not there. I can't..._pin-point _where he is. I- we- need to be on high-alert at all times. Let's go."

I darted to the door of the house without waiting for a second word from Sasuke. I was such an idiot. Why had I let it slip my mind that my team had a target painted on the back of their heads? Zabuza spared me once, that doesn't mean he'll do it again, no matter what he had said to me. And I still needed to find out what the hell he was saying.

I opened the front door without hesitation and saw Kakashi, still sitting on the floor. He didn't even look up from his book when I made my entrance.

"Kakashi-sensei, may I search for Sakura-chan to relieve her of her duty or possibly back her up on her protection detail?" I asked urgently, but politely. "I think she'll need as much help as she can get."

"I'm home!" Tazuna called from the front door, carrying grocery bags in either hand. "Hey, it's the hearing brat. Help me with these bags, would ya'?"

I almost sighed in relief. I'm glad he was safe, merely so he could help the town, of course. I rushed over to him and took the bags from his hands. They weren't extremely heavy, but they weren't full of feathers either. I peered around the corner of the door and saw Sakura with a single bag in her hands. I was glad she was alright as well.

"Hey, are you gonna stand there or put those away?" Tazuna barked at me. I rolled my eyes, but followed his voice to the kitchen anyway.

He told me where to put everything and I followed his directions. I tried to keep my mind focused before it was numbed by the possibility of death. When my task was done, Kakashi assigned Sasuke and I to protection detail while Sakura took a rest from her time with the old man. Though I was glad to help, I would have liked it better if i was working with Naruto.

Don't get me wrong, I like Sasuke. I do! It's just that I would have wanted to see Naruto in action. It also has to do with the fact that I've known Naruto longer than anyone, so we would know each others' 'secret weapons' so to speak. Oh well, it's just temporary.

"Alright, then. Let's get to the bridge." Tazuna sighed, dreading the manual labor he's going to have to do soon.

I lightly chuckled at this. We will be having heart attacks while he's laying down bricks. Who has it worse?

"What are you laughing at, punk?" The old man asked me. I wiped the grin off my face before he even turned around.

"Absolutely nothing." I said in monotone. "Let's go, shall we?"

He grunted as he grabbed a pack next to the door and headed out. I rolled my eyes and Sasuke nudged my elbow with his. I shifted my eyes over at him and saw him nod. What was he nodding at? My chuckle? My response? It was so vague. How was I supposed to know what he meant? I just took it as approval and went on my merry way.

"Wait." Kakashi called from inside the house. We all paused until he shuffled out with a single crutch. "Zabuza will be expecting you at the bridge. I ought to be there in case he shows up."

"Kakashi-sensei," I sighed. "Don't you think your injuries would get in the way rather than help?"

"Oh, I don't think so." He said and disappeared before reappearing behind me. "Do you?"

"Apparently not." I muttered, rolling my eyes. Sasuke smirked.

"Hn. Let's get moving, we're losing daylight." He said and I nodded. I turned around, facing Kakashi's chest and my sensei chuckled before turning around to catch up with Tazuna.

"Whatever..." I mumbled, barely audible to my own ears, so I know no one else heard it.

I started walking quickly to catch up with the two men in front of me and Sasuke kept up with my pace, sticking to my side like a loyal dog. He didn't say anything to me and I didn't say anything to him. When we were finally behind Tazuna and Kakashi, we slowed down to a stroll. I inhaled deeply in attempt to calm my nerves. This is this first mission I've had where my life, and the lives of my teammates, are on the line, of course I'm stressed.

Sasuke nudged my shoulder again and I warily turned my head in his direction. He slightly narrowed his eyes and from that, I got 'Is everything okay?' in which I responded with a shrug- 'I don't know.'

"Ayame, would you mind walking in the front of the group?" Kakashi interrupted our silent conversation. "Your ears are the greatest asset we have as of now."

"Kakashi-sensei," I sighed. "I can't hear him. He's too good for my ears. I can't even-"

"I know you can find him." He stopped walking and the rest of us did as well. He turned and look me in the eyes. "I've watched you from the beginning. I've seen what you can do. If anyone can do this- you can."

I swallowed, repressing a smile, and nodded. I slowly turned and made my way to the front. I felt Sasuke's eyes on me as we began to walk again. Why was he being so protective of me? Why did he even care? Maybe he was just jealous of the attention I was getting from our sensei? I don't know. I'll have to ask him later.

We walked on until we finally reached the bridge, a magnificent sight. Stone and concrete were built to look like such an amazing work of art, I couldn't help but stare. And to think; the grouchy old man was responsible for it. If I didn't know any better, I would have changed my opinion about him.

"Beautiful, isn't it?" Tazuna popped a hole in my thought bubble as he looked at the bridge thoughtfully. "It's not just an extension of road, you know. It's a beacon of hope for the villagers. Gato has had control for so long and this bridge is the only thing that keeps them fighting."

I looked up at him, a different perspective in mind. Tazuna cleared his throat.

"We're not out of the woods yet, though." He said, continuing the trek forward. I struggled to stay in front of him. "I still have to finish this bridge and you still have to keep me alive, brat." I smiled. The name was endearing to me, now.

"I'm going to do my best." I looked over my shoulder. "Tazuna-san, as long as you promise to save this village, I promise to put my life on the line for you. Deal?" There was so much seriousness in my tone, even Kakashi broke composure for a fraction of a second.

"Deal." He nodded. I felt a smile in his voice. He knew I would keep my word. I felt as if he was actually starting to like me.

We kept walking on the bridge until we reached a group of about six people who were hunched over blueprints and arguing about how things would be done. Tazuna sighed and passed me to get the other men. I stuck by his side while Kakashi and Sasuke checked the surroundings, making sure there were no uninvited visitors. I kept my eyes peeled and my ears focused as Tazuna began giving commands to the workers.

About half an hour or so passed by with nothing too incredibly suspicious happening. I was always vigilant around Tazuna, even when Sasuke was there to help me keep my eyes on him. I got to relax my ears and chakra when Sasuke was around, though, which was a good thing. I shouldn't be using this much in the first place.

"Alright, lunch time!" One of the workers called out. "Come on, Tazuna. A little break sounds good right about now."

"I guess so." He sighed. "Five minutes; make it quick. We're losing daylight."

The men quickly dispersed after the lunch break was affirmed. I gently clutched my stomach. I wasn't too terribly starving, but it would be a good idea to eat now and regain some lost energy and chakra. I followed Tazuna to a pile of wooden planks which he sat on and unwrapped his lunch. I sat with my legs crossed while the other men chattered and ate. Kakashi and Sasuke were looking up and down the bridge, checking for uninvited visitors.

That's when I heard something. I perked up and stood on my feet. Everyone was speaking at the same time, I couldn't hear.

"Quiet! All of you! Now!" I shouted and the men ceased their noise making. Kakashi rushed over to me, as did Sasuke. "And nobody move!" They all stayed still. Everyone of them.

I closed my eyes and listened. I breathed in and slowly retrieved a kunai from my pouch. Sasuke did the same. I pointed the tip of my kunai at my ear, a habit I gained from target practice in the woods of Konoha. I heard the lightest of footsteps from behind Sasuke and I snapped my eyes open again.

I pushed Sasuke down just as my kunai clashed with the one of Zabuza. I grunted, trying to keep my position, while my opponent had no troubles keeping me where I was. He chuckled at me.

"Hello, Ayame." He mused and leaned closer. "Good to see you again."

"Zabuza-san." I returned, nodding.

"You're lucky your girlfriend was here to save your butt, boy." Zabuza said to Sasuke, but didn't take his eyes off me. "If she hadn't picked up on where I was, you'd have a kunai in your head right now."

I hear Sasuke's teeth click from where he was clenching them. Was he mad that he was emasculated in front of me? Was he mad that he didn't catch on to Zabuza? Or was he mad that Zabuza had me in a stalemate? Too many questions, not enough time.

"Hey, Zabuza." I called to him. "Why don't you kill it with the mist? You've got two worth opponents and you shouldn't even be trifling with them." I wasn't wrong. Plus, the dense fog was annoying the hell out of me.

The other men had evacuated the bridge, leaving half of my team, a trained assassin, his target and myself. This will be interesting.


	10. Chapter 10

Zabuza laughed at me. He didn't chuckle- he almost howled in laughter.

"Who? Who are these worthy opponents?" He mocked. "Surely it's not Kakashi Hatake, the has-been copy ninja, which my care giver decoded, and not the-"

"Care giver, ne?" Kakashi asked and I felt a small shift in Zabuza's stance. "What care giver?"

"Like you don't know." Zabuza scoffed. "Haku. Come out, come out."

I heard a noise from behind me.

"Kakashi-sensei!" I called out, almost foolish enough to turn around.

I heard a few thuds and a grunt. I didn't know what was happening, but Sasuke disappeared. I didn't know what to think. My leader was down and my partner was AWOL. I was panicking. What was I supposed to do? I sure as hell wasn't going to fight him!

"Well, well, Ayame. Alone at last." He soothed me. "Or should I say Ayame-chan?"

"What do you think give you the right?" I shot daggers at him. "Why would you work for a man like Gato?"

"The money!" He laughed. "You Leaf Ninja aren't that dumb, are you?" I was about to give him a snide remark, but grunts of what sounded like pain came from down the bridge. I listened more intently, and found that it was Sasuke. My eyes widened and I gasped.

"S-Sasuke-kun!?" I called out. Zabuza smirked at my distress and I felt my arm begin to buckle. "Sasuke Uchiha, you answer me!" I called again, frantic. Zabuza chuckled.

"Ayame-chan." I heard him. It was faint, but I heard him and I think I was the only one. "Do what you need to do."

Okay, now is so not time for one of his random code phrases. What did that mean? Ugh, I need help. It was then that I noticed I haven't heard a peep from Kakashi. I narrowed my eyes through the think fog and saw, quick as a flash, a hand wielding a kunai coming and stopping right in front of Zabuza's jugular.

"Game over." Kakashi said. "Ayame, you can go over to Tazuna now." I eyed Zabuza very carefully and slowly brought my weapon down, as did he.

I backed up to Tazuna. "Are you alright?" I asked, still not taking my eyes off Zabuza.

"Yeah." He said. I grabbed his hand. "Get me out of here."

I nodded and dragged him along, but not off the bridge. I had a feeling to would have been trap or possibly rigged to explode.

"Where are you taking me?" He whispered. "You better not be-"

"Shh." I silenced him and waited. I wasn't sure what I was waiting for, but I would know it when I saw it. Or heard it.

"Kakashi-sensei!" Sakura cried. I guess the bridge _wasn't _rigged. Damn. We were almost home free.

"Sakura, guard Tazuna." Kakashi ordered. "Now."

"Hai." Sakura replied. "Ayame-chan, where are-"

"Just find her, Sakura." Kakashi urged.

I heard quickened footsteps in a random direction. I clasped my hands together, raised them to my mouth and blew air into my gesture so it would make a bird calling noise. Sakura's footsteps halted. I made the noise again and she came my way. I saw her just as she stood next to Tazuna.

"Sakura-chan, I need you to stay with Tazuna-san." I said. "If you need me, just call my name. I'm bound to hear it." I smirked at the last one. I turned around to walk away, but Sakura's voice stopped me.

"I'm scared." She whispered. I faced her. "I can't do this by myself." I smiled and put a hand on her shoulder.

"I wouldn't leave you alone if I didn't think you could handle this." I said to her and she smiled. She got into a stance, while holding a kunai and shuriken. I nodded at her and began to make my way to where I thought Sasuke was.

I know, I know. He can handle himself with that Fire Ball Jutsu of his, but he can't use it. It takes too much chakra and I'm sure his opponent, Haku I think was his name, wouldn't give him an opportunity to use it. I jogged, looking and listening for any sign of him.

"Gah! N-Naruto!? Idiot!" Sasuke cried. I was near, but couldn't see him. "You weren't supposed to come in here!"

"Sorry, Teme!"Naruto shot out a nickname form Sasuke. "I'm trying to help the least you should be doing is- GAH!"

What the hell it going on? I sprinted over to where they were and saw an amazing catastrophe. It looked like a dome of mirrors? Or was it ice, maybe? Or both? I thought for a moment it was a genjutsu- and illusion type of jutsu- but it was the real deal. I circled it and a voice called out to me. It was soothing, but equally demanding and impatient.

"Get out of here, girl." He ordered, but it seemed polite.

"Nani?" Naruto asked. "What girl? Sakura-chan? Ayame-chan?"

"Hn. It's the latter." Sasuke said. I had no idea what emotion was running through his head at that moment. "Ayame-chan, go. It's too danger- AGH!" I flinched at his wail.

"N-no way!" I rejected. "I'm not leaving you guys."

There was no protest, but there were more grunts. Then I heard it. I heard metal dings like...like pins being dropped on the floor. Of course! He's Zabuza's caregiver, he would have access to needles and maybe that was what Kakashi was talking about when Zabuza was 'killed' by needles? If he was that good off the battle field... I shook my head. Now was a time for action, not thoughts.

"Girl." The one called Haku said to me. "You must be the one Zabuza-sama was talking about. I heard a lot about you." I didn't know what to say.

"What..._have _you heard?" I asked. I yearned to know. Right then, it hit me like Sakura hits Naruto. Completely retched timing, but better late than never.

What Sasuke had meant by, 'Do what you need to do'. I asked him prior to this mission about his Fire Ball Jutsu- the one I mentioned earlier- and he showed me how to do it. He told me to use it in a desperate situation and as a last resort. I would hurt him. If I did it, I would burn him and Naruto.

"S-Sasuke-kun, I can't do it!" I yelled. "How could you tell me to-"

"You have to, Ayame-chan!" Sasuke shouted at me. "Do it now!"

I looked down and squeezed my eyes shut. I can't believe I'm about to do this. Idiot. I made the hand sings that corresponded with the words I said.

"Horse. Serpent. Ram. Monkey. Boar. Horse. Tiger." I looked up, grief washing over me. "Fire Style: Fire Ball Jutsu."

I raised my hand to my mouth and blew. Fire spewed away from me and I almost couldn't hold out. It absorbed so much of my chakra. When the flames were done, I fell to me knees, wiped out of energy and full of regret. Did I kill him? Did I kill half of my team in one sitting? I inhaled and stood back up.

From the smoke, a stranger jumped out. That had to be Haku. I clenched my fist and went to go after him, but Naruto stopped me.

"N-Nii-chan." He called me. I turned around as the smoke disappeared. He was sitting as Sasuke was in his arms, limp and powerless.

"K-Kami." I sprinted over to them. "N-no! I didn't mean to-"

"Ayame-chan..." Sasuke said softly. "You didn't-"

"Quiet, Teme." Naruto sniffled, tears in his eyes. "That boy did it. Just before the fire."

"I...How are you not burned?" I asked, fighting back tears and sobs of loss. I had to be strong for my little brother.

"Dobe's...chakra." Sasuke coughed. It pained me to see him this way. "It protected us. Good work...loser." Sasuke smiled a very small one. He closed his eyes and that was it. He didn't say another word.

"Take him." Naruto sobbed, handing Sasuke over to me. I took him in my arms and then he was laying in my lap. "I'll be back." Naruto growled, looking at his best friend's face.

I knew they'd be great friends just because of how well they worked together. I looked up at Naruto and he looked completely different and almost scary. His nails were longer, like claws and his beautiful blue eyes were red and his pupils were slits. His teeth were pointed, too. He looked like...like an animal.

He ran off into the mist. I looked after him, but then back at Sasuke. What would have happened if I came sooner? Could I have saved his life? I looked at one of the needles that were the ground. I was angry, I was so frustrated. What was I to do now? Sasuke Uchiha was my friend and now he's gone. Ripped away from this world and brought into the next. It wasn't fair.

I held Sasuke's still warm hand and intertwined our fingers. I didn't want to let go. I thought I'd be ready to lose a teammate, but I was no where near ready to lose a friend. I allowed a single tear to roll down my face and it splashed on Sasuke's cheek. I sniffled and wiped my eyes.

"I'm sorry." I whispered. "I'm sorry I didn't put up a bigger fight." I leaned down and kissed his forehead like a mother putting her child to bed. I sat up and heard two pairs of feet shuffling toward me.

"Sasuke-kun?" Sakura asked.

I turned to meet her eyes. She creased her forehead with worried lines. I shook my head and her knees buckled. She ran and knelt next to Sasuke her hands shook as she sobbed and laid her head on his chest. I cleared my throat and look up at Tazuna, almost expecting him to bark at us, but he was respectful and sat with us. Before I could even say anything, he spoke.

"Losing a friend, ne?" He asked, shaking his head. "Never a good feeling. I've lost many friends in these very waters during a storm and I still miss them to this day. Losing a friend. You can't get much lower than that."

"No! Sasuke-kun, wake up! Please, Sasuke-kun!" Sakura pleaded. She was wailing and sobbing and crying. I held her hand in my free one.

"Sakura-chan." I said soothingly. She looked at me with puffy eyes. "Calm down. Okay? It'll be alright. Just breathe."

She did as told and calmed herself down, but she took one more look at Sasuke and lost all her composure all over again. I sighed as she laid back down on Sasuke's still body. I released her hand and held Sasuke's in both of mine. That's when I felt it. I felt Sasuke's finger twitch. I gasp quietly and looked at his face. His eyes fluttered open and he gently coughed.

"S-Sakura-chan," He said. "I can't breathe with you on my chest." Sakura sat up right and looked at Sasuke. I helped him sit up and just as her was erect, Sakura flung her arms around him.

"Sasuke-kun! Thank Kami you're alright!" Sakura said.

"Sakura-chan, calm down," I sighed and pried her off of the Uchiha boy. "He can't breathe."

She got off and helped me get Sasuke to his feet. When he was standing, he lost his balance and crashed into me, but I kept us both up. He was leaning on me and I felt his breath on my cheek. I flushed.

"It's good to have you back, Sasuke-kun." I said. "But don't you ever scare me like that again. Okay?" He smiled at me and whispered.

"I won't. Sorry." I thought I felt his lips move on my skin, but that couldn't have happened. I blushed again, but recovered.

"Where's Naruto-kun?" I asked. "We need to let him know that Sasuke-kun is alright."

"Hai." Sakura nodded. "I'll stay in front. Tazuna-san, you stay with Ayame-chan and Sasuke-kun."

He nodded and Sakura began to head forward. The mist was letting up, so I could see some figures in the distance. As we got closer, I could see a mob of people. What the hell did I miss? We finally reached Naruto and when he saw Sasuke, he smiled. He had missed him, of course he'd smiled. I tore my gaze from him and looked at Zabuza. He had a kunai in his mouth and started to slaughter the mob of angry looking men with weapons. He wasn't using his arms and- damn, I really do miss everything.

Through the mass, I saw a short man in a suit. Gato. I got so angry at him, but then, like he was reading my thoughts, Zabuza began to cut him up and finally stabbed him, pushing him over the bridge and killing him. I gaped. I wanted him dead- sure, who didn't?- but to see someone die that way. Well, I did see Sasuke 'die', but still.

"Where's Haku?" I asked. I looked about and Sasuke nudge me. I looked where he was looking and saw Haku face down on the ground. My eyes widened. "Who?"

"I did." Kakashi said. He wasn't even looking at me.

He was watching Zabuza walk back to us. He didn't have the intent of attacking, so I didn't bother tensing up. I watched as his legs buckled and finally gave out from beneath him. Kakashi walked over to him and towered over him.

"Take me to the boy." He requested. "I want to die next to the boy I owe my life to."

Kakashi picked up Zabuza and carried him to Haku's lifeless body. Zabuza stared longingly at him and sighed.

"Ayame-chan." He called me. "If I could do one more thing before I die, it would be to tell you something."

Naruto walked over to me and took Sasuke from my arms. Sasuke held my hand like he wanted to tell me something, but he released me and I kept walking. I stand above Zabuza and he patting the ground, telling me to sit. I looked at Kakashi who nodded and I knelt down.

"Yes, Zabuza-san?" I asked.

"There was a boy." He said, looking at the sky and not me. "He spoke of a girl named Ayame." My eyes widened. "OF course, it could be another, but you seem interested enough." He coughed.

"What did he say?" I urged. Zabuza sighed.

"I knew him." He ignored my question or didn't hear it. "About six years ago, when he was about your age, he was in the ninja academy. He train hard, with the intent of killing anyone and everyone." He breathed in.

"What did he say about me, Zabuza-san?" I repeated. He turned his head to me.

"He wants to kill you." He said. I was silent. No one moved. I found myself not breathing. "He said he needed to avenge his father's death by killing his one and only sibling who had fled. That's all I know. I only remember because he brought it up a lot."

I looked down at him. "Are you absolutely sure there's nothing else?" I asked and I saw his hand reach for Haku's.

"I'm positive." He said with his last breath. I sighed and closed his still opened eyes.

"Rest in peace." I whispered. "Both of you."


	11. Chapter 11

After Zabuza's death, my team and I went to visit his grave out of respect. I didn't know if I could believe what he said to me, but then again, why would a dying man lie in his last words? I sighed as I placed a single white flower on his grave. Sakura followed and put a pink flower on Haku's grave, which was right next to his Master's. That was it. It was time to go home.

But I never stopped asking myself the same questions over and over again. Why would someone want to kill me? How would he be avenging his- our- father's death by murdering me? What did I do? I wasn't the cause of anyone's death. Was I? I definitely needed to speak with Iruka when I got home. When I was talking to Kakashi, I felt like he was keeping something from me, but I knew that Iruka wouldn't.

**When Team Seven returns to Konoha**

When we all came back to the lovely Leaf Village, I immediately went home to put my stuff away. I washed my face in the sink and left my home so I could find Iruka. I needed answers and I was sure he had some of them. Kakashi is someone I respected and trusted with my life, but Iruka was like a big brother or even a father to me. Like I've mentioned before, he got me and Naruto to make nice.

I first went to the academy, to see if he was still there. I went into his classroom and found no one. I went into the courtyard and again, no luck. I was starting to get a little frustrated, but then I decided to look for him at the IchiRaku Ramen stand. Again, he wasn't there! So, as my final resort, I went over to his favorite tea house. I walked in and was instantly flagged down by the man I was looking for. I smiled and walked over to his booth which was in the back.

"Ayame." He said with a smile as he stood up. I chuckled and greeted him with a hug, which he returned. "What brings you here?" He asked and motioned for me to sit across from him.

"You, Iruka-sensei." I said as he sipped some tea. He raised an eyebrow and I continued to speak. "I just have a couple questions, if you don't mind."

"Of course I don't mind." He said, setting his cup back on the table. "Would you care for a cup? I'm having jasmine, that's your favorite, ne?"

"Yes, it is." I confirmed with a smile. He knows me so well. He called over a waitress and ordered another cup of tea for me.

"Right then." He said when my tea was brought out. "What did you want to ask me?" I took a sip of my tea and sighed, closing my eyes.

"When you found me..." I started and I felt the atmosphere shift. "Was there something...wrong with me?" Iruka was quiet for a bit, carefully wording his answer.

"How do you mean?" He asked. I opened my eyes and looked right into his.

"Was I sick? Was I afraid of something or someone? Did I mention any-"

"Ayame, calm down." Iruka said soothingly. "I've told you this before and you know that you didn't remember anything."

"But I have been remembering things lately." I said. "I remember my mother and I think my brother. But, something else happened, Iruka-sensei." My voice was hushed. I didn't want anyone to listen in on our conversation.

"What happened?" Iruka asked, sipping his tea again, a sign he was unsure what he was expecting.

"My...shoulder." I said, motioning to where my birthmark was. "It's been being...weird. It feels like it's burning and I don't know what's causing it. Do you have any-"

"Ayame." Iruka said, not looking at me. "There are some things you shouldn't know yet. Things that are unknown even to me still. When I find out enough information, I will tell you everything I know." I sat back in my seat. He knew something. He knew something the whole time.

"Look my in the eyes and promise me you will." I said. Iruka looked pained as he raised his head up and searched for my eyes. When he found them, he spoke.

"I promise you, that I will reveal what I know as soon as I learn it." He said and I nodded. I took another sip of tea and reached into my pocket to get money. "It's on me." He said and I sighed.

"Thanks for the tea, Iruka-sensei." I said and got up. "See you later." I turned around and left.

I thought about going to the hospital to ask a doctor about it, but I felt like I could trust Iruka's judgement, even though he kept it from me. So, instead, I just went back home. The skies were grey and it looked like it was about to rain, anyway. I was in front of my home when I saw this little creature. It was a small, grey dog. Same shade of grey as the sky.

"Hello, there." I cooed to it. It's ears perked up and it turned to face me. "What are you doing here?" I asked. It started wagging its little nub of a tail and I giggled. I searched for a collar, but I didn't find one. The dog started to lick my hand and I smiled. I scratched his soft ears and stood up to walk away.

I started my way up the outdoor stairs to my flat, but felt like someone was watching me. I turned around and there was the little dog. I sighed and shook my head. I started walking again. I made it up to my floor and walked to my door. I looked down at my feet and the dog was at my heel. I smiled and knelt down to it.

"What do you think you're doing, ne?" I asked it. He put it paws on my knees and licked my nose. "Alright, alright. I like you too." I picked it- ahem, sorry- I picked _him_ up. I unlocked my front door just as thunder struck. "You can stay with me tonight, okay? Wouldn't want you to be out in the storm." He yipped, seeming to like the idea and stepped inside my home.

I set him on the ground and he went straight to the couch to nestle in. I chuckled and went to my room to change. I put on a pair of black shorts and a red tank top. I took my hair out of its tie so it was down. I brushed my hair out and went back into the living room where the dog still was. I wonder if he was trained.

"Come." I said and the dog leaped off the couch and sat in front of me. "Speak." He barked. "Roll over?" He did! I got a trained, sweet, clean dog off the street. It was sad to wonder why someone left him there. But maybe he ran away.

I heard rain drops pounding on the roof and I sighed. Looks like I was right about the weather. I went over to a bookshelf and chose a book, not really paying any attention to the title, but just wanting something to keep my mind occupied. I noticed that the dog was constantly following me around. I chuckled and made my way to the couch. He hopped right up there with me and curled into a ball on my lap.

"You're such a little shadow." I said, setting my book on a coffee table and scratching his ears. "My kage." His ears perked up and he looked at me. "Kage? Is that your name? Kage-kun?" We started wiggling his tail and he licked my hand. "I like you, Kage-kun. Maybe I'll just keep you around. Would you like that? I'll ask Kiba-kun about where I can get dog supplies and how much I should give you for meals. I'll ask him to check out your health too. Or at least his sister. I think she's a vet."

Yes. I was having a conversation with a dog. Don't judge. I told him about myself, my academics, my friends, my team and the latest mission. I was so caught up in our one way conversation, I almost didn't notice the knocking on my door.

"Oh, coming!" I said. I sat up and gently moved the sleeping Kage off my lap. I raced to the door and opened it to find a dripping wet Sasuke Uchiha.

"Hello, Ayame-chan." He said, calm as ever, but he looked like he was cold.

"Sasuke-kun!? Get in here!" I pulled him inside. "It's pouring out! Why did you come here?" I stage whispered.

"Why are you whispering?" Sasuke whispered. I heard his teeth chatter.

"Because Kage-kun is sleeping!" I said, grabbing some towels from a cupboard in my living room.

"Kage? Who is that?" Sasuke asked in his normal voice. I rolled my eyes.

"My dog."

"I knew that."

I shook my head as I wrapped the towel around Sasuke's shoulders and held the other ones in my arms.

"Baka, why'd you come here, anyway?" I asked as I walked back over to my couch, Sasuke following. I sat down and Kage jumped in my lap again.

"He's cute." Sasuke sounded sarcastic. Sasuke reached over to scratch Kage's ear, but the latter started licking Sasuke's hand instead.

"So, you didn't answer my question." I pressed, watching Sasuke's eyes. "Why did you come here?"

"You heard what Zabuza said." Sasuke said, still allowing Kage's affection. "Someone wants to kill you." I scoffed.

"That wasn't legitimate information." I said, looking out the window the was to my left. "I don't think-"

"Listen to me, Ayame-chan, if someone is trying to harm you, they're going to have to get through me first." I still didn't look at him, so he reached over and cupped my cheek with his hand. He turned my head so I would face him. "Did you hear me?" I felt my face heating up.

"Y-Yes, I did." It was then that I noticed his face was dripping wet. I held up one of my towels and started to dab his face dry, starting with his cheeks, the his forehead, then his nose and chin. He stared into my eyes. "S-Sorry." I said and looked away.

"It's alright." He said, leaning back. "So, what I was saying is that I'm not going to leave you defenseless."

"Please, Sasuke-kun." I said, holding up Kage. "I have a fearless guard dog. Kage-kun, attack!" I ordered and Kage climbed up on Sasuke's lap and snuggled into him. "Fearless. Like I said." I chuckled. "But I'm not going to let you walk home in the rain, Sasuke-kun. So you can stay on my couch for tonight, okay?"

Sasuke nodded while petting Kage. I shook my head and went into my bedroom to get a pillow and blanket. I came back out and saw a shirtless Sasuke, standing in the middle of my living room. I blushed as I stared at his muscles and form. I shook my head and continued walking.

"Sasuke-kun, why'd you take your shirt off?"

"It was wet."

"Right...Just give it to me and I'll hang it in the bathroom to dry." He handed me his shirt and I took it into the bathroom down the hall to dry.

"I couldn't help but notice that little mark on your shoulder, Ayame-chan." Thunder cracked as he finished his statement. I came back into the living room and ignored what he said. I hated it and I did not want to think about it at all tonight.

"Would you like some tea, Sasuke-kun?" I asked. "Did you eat dinner? I could make some rice balls for us." He nodded and I headed to the kitchen to prepare dinner.

We talked as I worked and Sasuke commented on my home's decorations and my book collection. We discussed different genres and writing styles until the rice and tea was completely finished. I set the table and even made a little bowl for Kage so he could eat. Sasuke sat across from me at the small table and we talked some more while we ate. That night was the longest I'd ever heard Sasuke talk. He had a soothing, deep and slightly mysterious voice that I found very attractive.

"This is really good, Ayame-chan." Sasuke commented after a short silence. "Thank you for making it." I nodded.

"Of course. I hadn't eaten in a while anyway, plus I had all these ingredients." I replied and we continued to eat in silence.

After dinner, I collected the plates and started to wash them, but Sasuke stopped me.

"You made the dinner. This is the least I could do." Sasuke said and I allowed him to wash my dishes. I sat on the kitchen counter and watched him clean.

Right, so, we ought to go to bed." I said after the dishes were put on the drying wrack. "We might have some training tomorrow, plus I have to go somewhere." Sasuke nodded and I started to head to my room, but he grabbed my hand. "Sasuke-kun?" I asked and he just looked at me.

He pulled my hand and I came along with it. My body was so close to Sasuke's I felt his body heat radiating off of him. Sasuke used his free hand to cup my chin and turn my head to the side. He leaned in and kissed my cheek softly.

"Goodnight, Ayame-chan." He whispered into my ear and released me.

"G-Goodnight, Sasuke-kun." I said and awkwardly scrambled to my room. "Kage-kun, come." I called and the little grey dog followed me. I picked him up and lied down in my bed. I flicked off the lamp to my room and Sasuke flicked off the lamp in the living room. What the heck is happening? I sighed and fell asleep with my dog on my chest.


	12. Chapter 12

I woke up early. I looked at my clock and it said 6:30 in the morning, so I decided to get up. I looked to my left and Kage was snoring softly, deep in sleep. I smiled and carefully got out of bed, so I wouldn't disturb him. I went into my bathroom, washed my face and brushed my hair, then went out into the living room. I almost forgot that Sasuke was still there until I saw his shirtless, sleeping from on my couch. I sighed and went back into my bathroom to get his shirt.

"Sasuke-kun." I called when I reentered to living room. "Wake up, man." I said, folding his shirt and putting it on my coffee table.

"I am awake." He grumbled. I chuckled as I went into my kitchen.

"Sorry my couch isn't that comfortable." I said, turning on the kettle. "Tea? I always wake up to jasmine. I hope that's alright."

Sasuke stood up and stretched. I watched as he twisted his back and touched his toes. I couldn't help it! Sasuke is an attractive guy, and he was there so I just- I'm not going to even explain myself... He picked up his shirt and put it on. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't a tad disappointed about him covering himself up again. I sighed as I poured water into our tea cups and added the leaves.

"You should leave your hair down more." Sasuke popped my thought bubble with his voice. "It looks nice down. Sakura would be jealous of how long it is." My hair was almost to my waist, so I could see what he meant. "And your eyes-"

"Are grey." I finished, sliding him his tea and sipping from mine. "The color of the sky before it rains. But I like the rain."

"Right." I felt Sasuke's eyes analyzing me. "So what are our plans for-" He stopped talking when there was a knock at the door. I set my tea down and opened it to see Naruto with tired eyes.

"Naruto-kun. Come in." I offered. He yawned and stepped in.

"Nii-chan, do we have- SASUKE!? What are you doing here!?" Naruto pointed at my guest and I elbowed him.

"Relax, Nii-san." I said. Sasuke smirked.

"Hn. We were just having a sleepover."

"SASUKE-KUN!" I yelled. I walked over to him and slapped him upside the head. "Quiet you! Ahem. Anyway, Naruto-kun, if you were asking about training, I haven't an answer. Go back to bed and I'll come back for you after I ask Kakashi-sensei." I said calmly with a smile, but he was still dumbfounded.

"But why is _he _here?" He asked again and I shrugged.

"He dropped by to ask about training just like you." I lied like an expert. Naruto pouted.

"Oh, alright." He yawned. "I'm gonna...bed...training...ramen..." He mumbled and waved as he left my flat and walked across the hall to his own. I sighed in relief as I closed the door.

"Why the hell did you say that, Sasuke-kun!?" I asked, annoyed, but flattered, so I couldn't be exactly angry at him. He chuckled softly.

"It wasn't a lie, unlike what you told him." He said and I blushed, but calmed my nerves.

"Shut up, baka." I said and made my way to my room. "I'm going to change, so stay out here, alright? And I swear to Kami, if I catch you peeping-"

"You have my word that I won't." He said, holding up his hand. "Now, go."

I sighed and went into my room. I closed the door and quickly looked for something to wear. I found a light blue, shot sleeved kimono, but I grabbed a jacket to wear over it. I don't like it when my birthmark shows, alright? I've said this before. I found a tan pair of pants to wear under it, so I put those on too. I looked into my bathroom mirror and debated whether or not keeping my hair down. I sighed as I pulled it back and tied it into a pony tail. I still liked it up more than anything. I washed my face and brushed my teeth before exiting my room.

"You look nice." Sasuke commenting. I nodded at him. "So, what are our plans of the day?" My eyes widened.

"_Our_ plans?" I asked incredulously. He nodded.

"Did you forget my entire speech last night?" He asked and I sighed.

"Look, Sasuke-kun, I appreciate all what you're willing to do, but it isn't necessary." I said. "Don't worry about me, I can protect myself. And if I run into any trouble, you'll be the first person I tell, okay?" I bargained. Sasuke eyed me over before giving in and nodding, accepting my terms.

"But you're still going to be stuck with me for today at least." Sasuke said and I nodded.

"I can live with that. Let's go find Kakashi-sensei." I suggested and he nodded, then we left.

I explained to him my plans for the day if we didn't have any training. First, I was going to go to the animal clinic to see if Kiba was there, helping his sister with the place, and ask him about dogs and bring Kage there, too. Then after that, go to the library to do some research on my mark, but he didn't need to know what I was actually researching, so I didn't tell him that part. After that, I was just going to practice my ninjutsu somewhere. Sasuke was determined to stick to me like glue all day, so I just went with it.

After some searching, we finally came across the Jonin we were looking for. We asked him about training, but he claimed that he was still too weak to work at his maximum. I didn't know if I could trust him anymore, but I felt like what he was saying was at least _half _truthful. After we learned this, we excused ourselves, so I could pick up Kage from my home and to inform Naruto of our lack of training.

"Nii-san!" I called from outside Naruto's door while Sasuke held Kage and I knocked. "We don't have to- I think he's already asleep..." I huffed. Sasuke chuckled.

"Forget him. We have stuff to do." Sasuke said, stilling smirking at me. I sighed and nodded.

Sasuke and I started off to Kiba's house first. I wanted to find out more about Kage's health and if anything was wrong with him. Sasuke knew exactly where Kiba lived and he was somewhat familiar with him, so I just let him lead the way as we walked. We talked some more during our journey. I found that I was really comfortable talking to him after a time.

Time flew by too quickly. Before I knew it, we were at Kiba's house, being greeted by said boy.

"Hey, guys. What brings you here?" Kiba asked politely. It was so weird to see him out of the academy's walls. Akamaru was still tucked in his jacket as usual, though.

"I, um, found this dog last night and I was wondering if- your sister is a vet, correct?" Why do I have such bad people skills? I was blushing violently as I spoke.

"She sure is." He said with a smile. "Let me take you to her Vet Center. Follow me, Ayame-chan. Sasuke." He motioned for us to go his way before walking off. I let out a breath of relief.

I liked Kiba. He was fun to be around overall. He liked me too. According to him, I was funny, smart, and even pretty, but kind of off. But, then again, who doesn't think that about me?

"Nii-san! Hana-chan? You here?" Kiba called out as we entered a small building. It smelled like animal dander, but it was so comforting to me for some reason. Sasuke sneezed and I giggled.

"You alright, there, Tiger?" I asked him with a smirk. His cheeks turned pink for a fraction of a second before it faded away.

"Yes, I'm fine." He said and I rolled my eyes.

"Yeah, yeah. I'm in the examination room. Come on in." A female's voice called from down the hall.

Kiba motioned for us to follow him and we did. We came to a room where a woman was cleaning a metal table. She looked so shockingly similar to Kiba, I almost stared at her. I picked up Kage in my arms and held onto him.

"Oh, are these your friends?" Hana asked and Kiba nodded.

"This is Uchiha Sasuke and AYame-chan." He said and Hana tilted her head.

"Just Ayame?" She asked and I sighed a little and nodded.

"Hai. Um, Hana-san, I was wondering if you could check out my dog, Kage-kun." I asked, holding the dog a little higher. "I just found him and I want to make sure he's alright."

"Alright, sure. Set him on the table." She said to my surprise. I smiled and put him on the slab as she washed her hands in a sink that was behind her.

Sasuke took a seat in a chair that was behind me and Kiba just leaned on the wall that was next to me. Hana began to examine Kage and it didn't take long for her to laugh.

"Where'd you find this one?" She asked me, scratching him behind he ear.

"Just outside of my flat?" It sounded more like a question. "What's so funny?" Hana shook her head.

"Kage-kun, here, is a ninja dog." Hana smiled at me. "I can tell by his chakra. Kiba, why didn't you spot this?"

"Jeez, I dunno." Kiba said, scratching the back of his head nervously. "I, uh, was distracted?" Kiba looked at me with a smile. I blushed and looked back at Kage. Sasuke stood up and stood right next to me so I was in between the two boys. Sasuke even put his rm around my waist, which made me turn six shades of red. He is totally jealous. I calmed my nerves by breathing evenly and looking at Kage.

"So, what does that mean?" I asked, breaking the awkward tension. "Do I need to-"

"Well, technically, he's a stray ninja dog." Hana interrupted, rubbing her chin. "He might have been retired or his owners lost him, or maybe he even ran away, but he's yours now. Unless, you want to put him up for adopting, that is." I looked at the little ball of fur before me. He started to wag his tail and I smiled.

"I'll just keep him, I think." I said as Kage licked my finger. "He's growing on me. Anyway, there's nothing else wrong with him?"

"Not that I can detect, no."

"Great. Where can I get food and how much should I give him and how often?" That was such a run on sentence. Oh well. Hana pondered for a bit.

"You can get his food at any pet store- the natural brand would suit him best. And, judging by his size and weight, I would say that maybe a cup of dog food twice a day. One for breakfast and one for dinner."

"Is that all?" I asked and she nodded. I smiled. "Thank you so much, Hana-san." I stuck out my hand for her to shake and she did.

"It was my pleasure." She said. "Please, don't be strangers. Come over whenever you like. Kiba, can you show them out while I finish up here?"

"Hai, Nii-san." He said and exited, waiting for us to follow. I grabbed Kage and left the room.

"Alright guys, take care." He said with a smile. "Hey and maybe we can spar one of these days, ne?" He asked with a smirk and I returned one.

"Call me when you feel like losing, Kiba-kun." I called over my shoulder and I saw him shake his head and jog back towards his house. Sasuke and I kept walking until we reached the shopping district again. I still had to go to the library and that's where we were heading.

"That was fun." I said when the silence overcame us. Sasuke shrugged and I scoffed. "What happened to _my_ Sasuke-kun, ne? The one that talked to me? Are you angry with me?" We were entering the library at this point, so I was whispering.

"No. I'm not angry at _you._" He whispered back. I rolled my eyes. I was right, he was jealous of Kiba.

"Alright, go read a book or something while I do my research."

"What are you researching, anyway?"

"Nothing that you need to know about."

"Oh?"

"Just respect my privacy, Sasuke-kun. Please."

Sasuke sighed before nodding and walking off. I let out a breath of frustration. I went over to the library catalog and looked under M for Marks. The catalog got pretty specific, which I was grateful for. _Bite Marks- Row 13, Birth Marks- Row 15, Curse Marks- Row 16, Dirt Marks- Row 20, Scuff Marks- Row 13. _Something about the third one tugged at something in my head. I shrugged at myself. What's the harm? Nothing will come up of it, but it'd be cool just to know what they are.

I strolled over to the sixteenth row of books and found a single book on the shelf. Odd. I wondered why there was only one book on a seemingly fraudulent topic. I pulled the book off the shelf and sat on the ground in the isle. Hardly anyone was here, so it wasn't like I was doing a lot of damage. Kage hopped right on my lap went I sat. He was being so well mannered, I forgot he was there. I scratched his head as I flipped through the table of contents. Something caught my eye.

_Marks of an Animal- Pages 24-32_

I looked at it and shrugged. It seemed interesting. I flipped right on over to page twenty four and started reading.

_Animal Cruse Marks are given to those who have been permanently linked to an animal. These people have the chakra and/or spirit of an animal are planted inside of them. This usually happens before birth. It happens when a skilled Cursor performs a special jutsu on the unborn child. The only animals that can be used for this jutsu are the ones that the Cursor who performs the jutsu kills._

_Curse marks usually burn at random times or when the cursed person's power is being drawn from it. They are usually black and look as if they are made of ink- or tattoos (see next page for images)._

I flipped to the next page and saw curse marks that were very similar to my own. I felt my heart rate increase as I turned the page and saw a curse mark that looked exactly like mine. The caption read _Curse Mark of the Wolf_. I was hyperventilating at this point. I couldn't believe what I was reading. I got angry after I realized that Iruka knew the entire time.

I gently pushed Kage off my lap and stormed out of the library, taking the book with me. I didn't care if I got into trouble- it's not like they'd notice, anyway. Kage yipped at my feet. I turned around and saw Sasuke catching up to us.

"Why'd you leave me in there?" He asked. I groaned.

"Leave me alone for a little bit, Sasuke-kun." I said, starting to walk again. Sasuke kept up with me.

"Did you find what you needed?" He asked and I glared at the ground.

"You have no idea."


	13. Chapter 13

"What's that supposed to mean?" Sasuke asked, sounding concerned. "Ayame-chan, look at me." Sasuke gripped my arm and made me face him. "Talk to me."

"You wouldn't understand." I said. "Even I don't get it, that's why I have to find Iruka and Kakashi-sensei."

I yanked my arm away from his grasp and continued walking. I heard him sigh out of frustration as he kept up with my fast pace. He didn't bother asking me anymore questions because he knew I wasn't about to answer any- not that I really could. I started walking us towards the academy, just because I had a feeling. I saw kids in a courtyard and figured they must be having recess, so Iruka would have been in his classroom, alone.

"Sasuke-kun, I need you to stay out-"

"If you think I'm leaving you, you can just forget it." He interrupted me with intent.

We were running out of time before recess was up, so I didn't bother arguing. We walked up the stairs to the main entrance and started off down the hall towards Iruka's room. When we reached it, I took a deep breath before sliding the door open. Iruka wasn't the only one there. Kakashi was leaning on the wall behind the teacher's desk. I stormed up to Iruka's desk as Sasuke closed the door behind us. He stayed next to the exit, sensing he needed to stay away.

"Ayame, what are you-"

"Am I different? Powerful?" I asked, interrupting Iruka's question. "With my _birthmark_?" I asked, putting emphasis on the last word. Iruka's eyes grew wide.

"Ayame, I told you that I would tell you if-"

"See this book?" I asked, holding up the scripture in my hand. He read the title and gasped.

"We were supposed to get rid of all those books."

"Well you missed one!" I yelled and threw the book in a nearby garbage can. "You knew the whole time, didn't you!? You too, Kakashi Hatake, and neither of you would tell me!? I don't care about what I am- hell, I'll embrace it, but you didn't have the courage to tell me!?" A moment of silence passed between us.

"I knew she was smart enough to figure it out on her own." Kakashi piped up. I glared at him and raised a fist at the Jonin then swung only to be thwarted by said ninja. He grabbed my wrist, swung me around until I hit the wall and pinned me there.

"Kakashi Hatake, you release me right now!" I yelled at him. He twisted my arm tighter and I yelped.

"I know you're upset, but that doesn't mean you can treat me with lack of respect." He informed me and I growled.

"Let me go...please, Kakashi-sensei." I said through bared teeth and he got off of me. I rubbed my shoulder and continued to glare at Iruka. "Why didn't you-"

"We didn't think you were ready to handle it." Iruka sighed. "We never sealed it. I thought, if we waited to tell you, you'd be able to control yourself." I laughed sarcastically.

"So that's why you had me meditate all the time, ne?" I asked and he nodded. "Well, I think I can control myself just fine, Iruka-sensei. I appreciate the concern. Wait...do people not like me because of my curse mark?" Iruka rubbed his forehead.

"When you came here, there was rumor going around of it and...I guess some people chose to believe it. Along with their children." Iruka sighed and so did I.

"Look, Ayame, the reason no one told is that we were merely trying to protect you from yourself." Kakashi said. "So, you really shouldn't be angry at anyone." I waved my hand in dismissal.

"I'm not angry. Not that much anyway." I said just as the classroom began to flood with children. "I should get going. We can talk about this later. Let's go, Sasuke-kun." I said as I made my way out the open door. I grabbed Sasuke's hand and pulled him along with me.

Sasuke held my hand as I gripped his. I led him outside and sat on a bench that was near the school. He sat next to me, still holding my hand because I didn't want to let go either. My head started to hurt, so I laid my head on Sasuke's shoulder. I didn't want to forget that he was there. I wanted to tell him everything I know, so I did.

"S-Sasuke-kun..." I started to say, head still on his shoulder. "If you want to know-"

"I don't need to." Sasuke said. I sighed.

"Alright then." I sat back up and released my friend's hand. "Thanks for being my rock." I chuckled and Sasuke nodded.

"Still up for some ninjutsu training?" He asked and I nodded.

"Yeah, I want to blow off some steam." I said and he stood up, then offered me his hand. I smiled and took it.

"Right then, let's go." He said.

I let go of his hand as we began to walk into town. I didn't need to embarrass him today. We were talking again and I was laughing when a voice that I really did not need to hear sounded.

"Aw. Ayame thinks she has a boyfriend." Hama cooed in disgust. "Sasuke-kun, why don't you come over and hang out with us?" Hama motioned to her group of followers and Sasuke shook his head.

"No thanks, Hama." He said and turned to me. "Let's go, Ayame-chan." I nodded and we continued to walk. I heard Hama scoff.

"Where do you think you're going with that-"

"Freak of the Leaf?" I bit before she could finish. "How very clever. Can't you think of anything else or do you not have the smarts to?" I asked, stepping closer and closer the more I spoke. "Here's an idea, Hama. Be real for once. We all know you're just trying to impress your so-called friends, but let's face it, at least I stick to my words, unlike you."

"You don't know me." Hama said softly.

"And you don't know me." I returned. "So either back off or bite me. See you later, girls."

I walked back over to Sasuke and motioned for him to follow me, which he did. After a but of walking in silence, Sasuke cleared his throat an spoke.

"That was impressive." He said. "Back there, with Hama, I mean." I smiled and nodded.

"She was the one drop of water that decided to burst my dam." I shrugged. "I knew it'd happen eventually. I just wasn't sure exactly when." We were approaching a clearing past the woods we were walking in.

"Well, no matter what anyone says, you're not bad." I'm sure he tried to sound comforting, but he just made it so sarcastic seeming. I smiled at him.

"Thanks, Sasuke-kun." I said. "That means a lot to me."

We entered the clearing, which was just a grass meadow to be honest, and walked to the center of it. I looked around me, evaluating my surroundings, even though I'd been here many times before. I was arranging my chakra around when something came to me.

"Hey, Sasuke-kun?" I asked.

"Hm?" He asked and I sighed.

"Why didn't you stay with Hama?" I wondered and he tilted his head.

"Haven't you figured out that I like you more than her?" He asked and my cheeks got hot. "Hama is annoying- like Sakura. You're cool." I laughed as I made a few hand signs.

"I'm cool? Wow, that's a first." I shook my head. "Earth Style: Armor no Jutsu!" I called and I was soon encased in rocks, forming a protective suit around me. "Yes! It works!" I said. I wiggled my arms and the armor moved with my body.

"Good work." Sasuke commented. I smirked under my helmet.

"Jealous?" I asked and he shook his head. "Sasuke-kun, attack me. I want to see how strong this thing is."

Sasuke obliged and began wailing, punching and kicking the suit, but it had no effect. I smirked.

"Alright, alright. Enough." I said and he stopped. I called off the jutsu and all the rocks fell off of me. Legs were shaking from not having the suit on. It felt weird.

"Are you alright, Ayame-chan?" Sasuke asked and I nodded.

"Hai, I'm fine." I said before I fell to my knees. "Itai!" I called out. Sasuke quickly came to my side and picked me up in his arms. He carried me away from the rocks, and set me down next to a tree.

"You're hurt." He said, looking at my knee which had been cut open from a jagged rock. "Here, let me help with that."

I wasn't going to argue, because that would have been a waste of energy. Instead, I watched as Sasuke grabbed a roll of bandages from his pouch and began to wrap up my injury. I flinched a few times, but that was only because it was wrapped too tight at times.

"There." Sasuke said when he finished up. "Feel better?" I nodded.

"I actually do." I assured him with a smile. "Thank you, Sasuke-kun."

"it was my pleasure." He said, looking into my eyes. I blushed and turned away.

"Shall we continue?" I asked, starting to stand, but I tripped and Sasuke caught me.

"Hn. You took care of me during our mission." He reminded me by whispering into my ear. "Now it's my turn. Let me walk you home." I blushed and nodded.

"Wait, where's Kage-kun?" I asked. "The bad thing about a ninja dog is you never know- there you are!" Kage was silently following us the whole time.

"I think he just disappears when people are being aggressive towards one another." Sasuke suggested and I shrugged.

"Your guess is as good as mine." I said and he chuckled. I felt his breath on my neck and shivered.

Sasuke walked me home, making sure I didn't fall to my death when I walked up the stairs to my flat. He even offered to take me out to dinner! I told him that we could another time, but offered him to come inside anyway. I heard his stomach growl and I face palmed.

"You haven't eaten all day!" I said. "I'm so sorry, Sasuke-kun." He smirked.

"Hn. How about this- let me take you to dinner and we'll be even, ne?" He offered and I smiled, then nodded.

"Alright, alright." I said. "Let's go."


	14. Chapter 14

Sasuke was glad when I agreed to eat dinner with him. Of course, that's what teammates do. Right? Oh well.

We went to a restaurant that Asuma-sensei's team went to a lot. His team had Shikamaru, Ino and Choji, all of them were pretty nice. In this restaurant, you order a type of meat you want and cook it on a grill over a small fire pit that was in the center of the table. Sasuke ordered a plate of small steak slivers and tea. We sat in a patient silence as we waited. I smiled when the waitress brought out the food and drinks.

"Thank you." Sasuke said coolly and the girl smiled with a slight blush.

"You are very welcome." She said and walked away. She was only a year or two older than us, so of course she was a victim of Sasuke's charm.

"Alright, then." I said, breaking a pair of chopsticks. "How does this work? I've never been here before." Sasuke smirked as he broke his own chopsticks.

"It's simple." He said. He picked up a piece of meat, then put it on the grill. It sizzled as it cooked and I smiled.

"That is so cool!" I said. I mimicked his action and placed some meat on the hot metal. Sasuke chuckled at my fascination. I cleared my throat as I blushed. "So, I think being on a team made me weak." I said with a small smirk. Sasuke raised an eyebrow as he drank his tea.

"How do you mean?" He asked, setting his cup down.

"Well, have you noticed that I used to be good at hiding my emotions?" I asked. "Now I lash out and-"

"Hn. Blush?" Sasuke finished with a smirk. "Blame me for that, Ayame-chan." I picked up my meat with the chopsticks and pointed it at him.

"Quiet you." I said. I put the steak in my mouth an. Almost drooled. "Holy, sweet Mother of Kami, this is delicious." Sasuke laughed at me as he picked up his own silver and ate it. We added more food to the grill.

"So, I have a question." Sasuke said and I raised an eyebrow.

"Ask away, my friend." I said and he leaned in closer.

"Why were you so concerned when you thought I died?" I blinked at his question.

"Nani? Of course I was concerned!" I said, leaning in too. "You and have gotten close in the last few weeks. I thought I lost a friend. A good friend. It just made me really sad to think I wouldn't see you again."

Silence fell over us and I leaned back in my seat. I looked at my folded hands in my lap painfully. The memory of seeing Sasuke's unmoving body in my arms made me sad and angry all over again.

"Hey, I'm sorry." Sasuke said after a few moments. "I didn't mean to-"

"I-It's fine." I stammered. I wiped nonexistent tears from my eyes, feeling them begin to form. Sasuke sighed.

"Don't you make me come over there." He threatened and I chuckled. "There she is." I smiled and looked back up at him.

"What is it about you almost dying that makes you a different person?" I asked and he shook his head.

"Nothing." He said."It has to do with the first face you see when you come back." He smiled ad turned red. "Hey, the steak is burning." He warned and I quickly picked it up with my chopsticks- as did Sasuke.

We continued to eat and make small talk until dusk. The sunset was beautiful by the time we finished dinner and paid for the meal- well, Sasuke paid because he refused to let me chip in. We went for a walk, and continued our conversation. We were laughing when I heard the familiar voices of our teammates at the IchiRaku Ramen stand.

"Cha! That's what you get for betting against me, Naruto!" Sakura's voice laughed. "Now you're gonna have to pay up!" I motioned for Sasuke to be quiet as we crept up to the curtains that formed a wall.

"Aw, man!" Naruto whimpered. "Maybe I can ask Ayame-chan for some cash."

"WHAT WAS THAT!?" I yelled, popping my head in between the two. They both released shrill screams and I laughed as I sat next to Sakura. "Sorry, I just couldn't help myself!" I laughed. Sakura looked like she was about to pound me, but she caught one glimpse of Sasuke and backed down.

"That was really funny, Ayame-chan." She said through gritting teeth.

"Onee-san!" Naruto pouted. "That wasn't funny!"

"Yes it was!" I giggled. "So, were you two on a date?" I asked innocently and Sakura ground her teeth.

"No way! Not in a million years! I just came here!" Sakura tried to cover up and I just smirked.

"Right, well, we should get going, Sasuke-kun." I said and he nodded. "Bye, Sakura-chan! Later, Onii-san!"

"B-Bye, Sasuke-kun! See you tomorrow!" Sakura called as we walked away.

"That was fun." I sighed and Sasuke chuckled. "Oh, Kuso! I still have to buy Kage-kun's food!" I groaned. "I can't carry it home with my leg like this."

"I'll help you, Ayame-chan." Sasuke offered and I sighed.

"You've helped so much already."

"Then it won't matter if I help a little more." He said. I groaned with a smile and Sasuke smiled too.

I knew arguing with him would he futile, so I just let him have it. We went to a store that sold dog food and I purchased a decently sized bag so it wouldn't be difficult for Sasuke to carry. We walked back to my home and Sasuke set the food down in my kitchen.

"Thank you so much, Sasuke-kun." I thanked him and he nodded, slightly panting. I tiled my head. "Would you like to stay for a bit?"

"Well, since you offered." Sasuke breathed with a smile.

I shook my head and walked over to the small couch, after setting food out for Kage. I sat down and Sasuke plopped down right next to me. We talked about random topics, missions we hoped to get and other things like that. I yawned after a bit.

"Tired?" Sasuke asked and I shrugged.

"A little." I sighed. I started sinking deeper into my couch until I was leaning against Sasuke's form. "Mm. I'm sorry." I said drowsily as I attempted to sit back up.

"It's fine." Sasuke said. "You can stay."

I smiled weakly as I laid back again. I closed my eyes and inhaled through my nose. Sasuke smelled sweet. Not musky, but nice. It was very pleasant. Sasuke moved his arm so it was around my shoulder and I shifted so I was cuddled up to him.

"Sasuke-kun." I whispered.

"Yes?" He asked and I smiled.

"You're really warm." I felt his chest bounce from chuckles.

"Thanks, Ayame-chan." I felt and heard his heart rate increase.

I smirked as I yawned again. Sasuke shifted his body and I felt his lips against the top of my head. I blushed, but I wasn't sure if he noticed. He started to move again and his other arm slipped under my legs and, before I knew it, Sasuke was carrying me to my bed. I wrapped my arms around his neck as he held me. He took me through the bedroom door and laid me gently on the bed. He kissed my cheek and whispered softly to me.

"Goodnight, Ayame-chan." He turned to walk away, but I grabbed his hand.

"Don't go." I whispered weakly. I don't know why I said it, but I just didn't want him to leave me.

"Hn. I thought there were no more sleep overs." Sasuke said jokingly and I squeezed his hand.

"Please?" I asked and he chuckled.

He walked around to the other side of the bed an laid down next to me. I pit my head on his chest as he wrapped his arms around me. His heartbeat was so soothing to me. I exhaled a long breath.

"Goodnight, Sasuke-kun." I whispered.

"Goodnight, Ayame-chan." He whispered back. We both fell asleep in each other's arms for the night.


	15. Chapter 15

I woke up with something warm underneath me. It was too big to be Kage and- oh, right! The Uchiha shared a bed with me last night. My eyes fluttered open and the first thing I saw was Sasuke's rising and falling chest. I breathed in his scent and smiled. His chest bounced as he laughed quietly.

"Good morning." Sasuke greeted me softly. I hid my face in his chest as I giggled.

"Morning." I returned, voice muffled from Sasuke's chest. I lifted my head up and my eyes met his black ones. I noticed the his hair looked like it was wet. I lifted my hand up to touch it and I was right.

"I hope you don't mind." Sasuke said. "I borrowed your shower when you were sleeping." He admitted bashfully. I ran my fingers through his soft, wet hair.

"It's okay." I said. "Did you leave to get a new change of clothes too?" I asked. His clothes felt cleaner and softer than the way they did when we fell asleep.

"I did." Sasuke nodded. "Are you mad that I left?" He asked and I shook my head.

"I have you all to myself, now." I said in attempt to get Sasuke to blush. "Don't I?" Saying that it worked would be an understatement. Sasuke turned into a tomato- that's how red he was. "Relax, I was kidding." I said and Sasuke cleared his throat.

I was still running my fingers through his hair when he gently took a hold of said hand. He moved it off his head and examined it. He then brought it to his lips and kissed my palm. I royally flushed. My face was extremely hot. I giggled as he continuously kissed my hand.

"Hey, I was having fun." I pouted and he smirked.

"Well, now it's my turn, isn't it?" He said and I gulped.

"I-I think I should start getting ready." I squeaked out. "We probably have t-training to-S-Sasuke-kun!" He wouldn't stop, so I just pulled my hand away from him. "Bad Uchiha." I joked. He pouted a little and I shrugged.

I got off of his chest and headed for my bathroom. I pulled my hair out of its tie and sighed as it spilled down my back and over my shoulders. I was washing my face when I felt a presence behind me. I stood up straight and saw Sasuke's reflection in my mirror.

"I've told you how pretty your eyes are, right?" He asked and I shook my head as I dabbed my face dry with a towel. I turned around and sat up on my bathroom counter.

"Maybe you have. Maybe you haven't." I teased. "But I have to take a shower. I'll only take about ten minutes, so...get out." I said with a smile and Sasuke pouted, but left my bathroom anyway.

I smirked as I turned on the water to my shower. I let it adjust to my preferred temperature and hopped in after removing my clothes. I washed my body and hair in a short enough amount of time, so I got out fairly quickly. I hastily dried my body, but let my hair remain dripping as I slipped on a robe. I exited my bathroom and looked for something to where. I found a clean blue kimono and grey pants. I quickly put those on and went into my living room, where Sasuke was.

"Your hair is wet." He said, looking up from the dog that was on his lap.

"I've noticed." I said, shaking my head. "You didn't feed him did you?" I asked, pointing to Kage and he shook his head. "Alright, just checking. Come, Kage-kun." I called and Kage followed me to the kitchen.

I poured him some food and he ate it happily. I scratched his ears as he chewed and I giggled as his stump of a tail wiggled.

"So, this is the second time I've spent the night at your house, ne?" Sasuke asked for confirmation and I nodded.

"Hai. That's right." I said. "And? What about it?"

"I was just wondering is all." He said and I stood up to eye him over. I sighed as Kage finished up his meal.

"Alright, are you ready for some training?" I asked both boys in the room. Both of them seemed to nod and I chuckled. "Let's go wake up Naruto-kun."

After a brief session of towel drying my hair and tying it up, three of us walked across the hall to Naruto's flat. I knocked on the door and there was a groan from the other side. I knocked on the door again and another groan emitted from the apartment. I shrugged and opened the door.

"Onii-san?" I asked and I saw Naruto curled up in a ball on his bed. I groaned. "Kage-kun! Attack!" I commanded with intensity and the small dog barked, then went after Naruto.

"Gah! Itai!" He yelped when Kage squirmed under the covers to bite him. "Itai! Onee-san! Call him off!"

"Heel!" I called and Kage jumped out of the covers and sat next to where I was standing. I walked farther into the flat, but Sasuke stayed outside. "Get. Your butt. Out of bed." I said and Naruto yawned.

"Five more minutes." He said and I shook my head.

"Now! I will call Sakura-chan to hurt you!" I threatened and he bolted upright.

"Alright! I'm up!" He said. I stared at him. "What?" He looked down and realized he was wearing only boxers. He blushed and covered himself up.

"You have five minutes to get dressed and ready." I warned. "We'll be waiting outside."

"We?"

"Me and Kage-kun. My dog. And Sasuke-kun. Just get dressed!" I said as I slammed the door. Sasuke looked at me funny after I closed the door. I cleared my throat. "He's getting ready."

After five minutes, Naruto came out of his flat with wet hair and a wrinkled shirt. I smirked as I readjusted his slightly off headband. He smiled and I returned it. I pulled my own headband out of my pocket and tied it around my waist like I usually do.

"Shall we?" I asked and the two boys nodded while Kage yipped. We started walking towards the same clearing Sasuke and I went to the previous day.

"Onee-san, why are you always hanging out with this guy?" Naruto asked. Sasuke was to my right, while Naruto and Kage were to my left.

"Because he's my friend." I replied calmly. "Oh, that reminds me, how did your date with Sakura-chan go last night?" I asked and Naruto chuckled as he put his hands behind his head.

"Well, it wasn't exactly a date, but it went pretty well!" He said enthusiastically.

He started to yammer on, but I wasn't really listening. I was paying more attention to Sasuke's fingers that kept brushing against mine. Sasuke and I were getting closer and closer by the day. It was clear that he liked me more than a friend, but I just wasn't ready to commit. I sighed at my thoughts. I shouldn't be leading him on, but... I do like him and- gah, why is this so difficult!?

When we approached the training grounds, Sakura was there waiting and-surprisingly enough-so was Kakashi. That man was almost always late. Sakura waved at Sasuke, but he did nothing in response to her. I smirked at the fact that I outrank her in Sasuke's mind. I examined the grounds more closely and saw Team Kurenai- Kiba's team- there as well.

"Glad you could join us." Kakashi said and Naruto pointed a finger at him.

"Hey! Look who's talking, the Tardy Ninja of The Leaf!" The blonde child accused.

"Do you mind?" Kiba called from where his team was. "Some of us are trying to train." Naruto blushed a little and sheepishly waved.

"Heh. Sorry." Naruto apologized. I locked eyes with Kiba, who was smirking at me. He turned to his sensei and I turned to mine, knowing what he was asking of his teacher.

"Kakashi-sensei, could I spar with Kiba-kun for a moment?" I asked my sensei. "Just to, um, see who will win?" I asked nervously.

"Sure." Kakashi said and I smiled. "As long as you don't mind an audience." I felt the color drain from my face.

"A-Audience?" I asked. "You're going to watch?" My teacher nodded and I rubbed the back of my head.

"You'll do great, Ayame-chan!" Naruto assured me with a smile. "Go kick Kiba's butt!"

"Yeah, you got this! Cha!" Sakura said with her thumbs up. I couldn't help but crack a smile at their efforts.

"Alright! Jeez." I laughed. I looked at Sasuke who winked at me. I smiled and walked over to Kiba.

"Are you ready, mate?" I asked with a sly smile. He laughed and nodded.

"Ready to eat dirt?" He asked. "Don't think I'll take it easy on you just because you're a girl."

"I wouldn't dream of it." I said. Kiba laughed at me. "Good luck." I muttered. "You're going to need it."

We got into our stances, about ten feet away from each other. We were staring each other down as Sakura and Naruto kept cheering. Kiba was grinning the whole time while I was trying to figure out a strategy. I turned my head to the side and my neck popped. I then cracked my knuckles as a smile spread across my face as well.

I quickly reached into my shuriken holster and whipped out three of the devices. I threw them at Kiba as I ran up to him. Kiba pulled out a kunai and began deflecting the shuriken as he backed away. When I caught up to him, I had a kunai in my hand also. Our blades clashed against each other as Kiba attempted to back away from me. He eventually had enough of that and swung his leg to kick me in the stomach, but I saw through this and did a back flip to get away.

As I recovered from my gymnastic act, I saw Kiba about to tackle me, so I made hand signs before he got to me. Just as I finished, Kiba pounced on me and pinned my arms above my head, so I couldn't make anymore movements. I struggled against him and he smirked.

"Got you." He said an I laughed.

"No, I got you!" I called. "Earth Style: Helping Hand Jutsu!" I said and two hands made of dirt and rocks shot up from the ground. They pushed Kiba off and I got up to pin him to the ground this time, only he didn't have a back up plan. Even Akamaru had his hands- err, paws- full with Kage.

"But I-"

"I win, Kiba-kun." I said. I pinned him down the same way he had me. We were panting on each other, but smiling at each other's skill. "Good work. You almost had me."

"Yeah, well, I didn't want to embarrass you in front of your boyfriend is all." Kiba pouted. I laughed as I got off. I offered my hand to help him up and he accepted it.

"Though I appreciate it, next time don't be so-" I stopped speaking when we heard an ominous laughter. Kiba and I turned around in the direction where we heard it and looked.

"Come on." We both heard it. We were still in the middle of the field, so we were close to the woods, where the voice was coming from.

"Did you-"

"The stranger's voice? Yes." I finished Kiba's question. It beckoned us to go there. We looked at each other. "Should we-"

"Yeah." Kiba said. "Let's check it out."

We sprinted off into the woods. I heard Naruto calling after me, but I ignored him as we traveled. We entered about twenty feet into the woods until we stopped to scope the place out. I listened and motioned for Kiba to be quiet as we cautiously walked deeper into the small forrest. I heard the laughter from behind me and spun around to see a person in a green, monstrous mask and a grey cloak.

"Hello, child. Do you remember me?" He asked in a deep, scratchy voice. He was a foot away from me and I was too petrified to move. "Aw, that hurts my feelings."

"Get away from her!" Kiba yelled and came flying in with his fist. The stranger caught Kiba's wrist and swung him around until the cloaked man's free hand struck Kiba multiple times in the stomach. After he was done, he just threw Kiba away like discarded garbage.

"Kiba-kun!" I screamed. It was all happening so fast. "Get out of here!" I screamed at him. I raised a hand the held a blade, only to have my wrist caught too, only I was held against a tree. I struggled against him, but he was strong.

"Aw, Ayame." He said my name and that's when I got scared. "Tsk Tsk. You shouldn't be fighting me."

"Get the hell off!" I yelled at the top of my lungs. I managed to get a hand free and punch the man in the middle of the face, cracking his mask.

"Ah! Brat!" He clutched his face and I tried to run away, but the man grabbed my shirt and yanked me back.

He started pounding my stomach with all his strength. But I heard a crack. One- or even two- of my ribs must be broken. It was the worse pain. My eyes started to get tearful from the pain I was experiencing. He clocked me in the face, making my lip bleed and held me up by my collar.

"This isn't the last time you'll see me." He warned and disappeared, dropping me on the ground. Who was that man? Why did he want to hurt me? But more importantly, was Kiba alright?

"K-Kiba-kun!" I managed to call out. "Kiba!"

I heard a groan and limped over to him. He was laying face first in the dirt. I pulled his arm over my shoulder and stood up. We had to get out of there. I had to get help. We shouldn't have gone. I hobbled out of the woods while dragging Kiba along with me. We got to the brink of the woods and I saw our teams from across the way. I set Kiba on the ground just before I collapsed. I curled into a ball, terrified. This was the first time I felt truly afraid of anything.

"Ayame-chan!" Sasuke called. He was very close, but I flinched and curled into a tighter ball. "Ayame-chan, it's me. What happened?" I looked up and Sasuke was leaning over me. I sat up and wrapped my arms around his neck. I felt safe then.

"I-I don't want to b-be here." I whispered. "It...hurts." I whimpered.

"It's okay. You're safe." Kakashi said. "We should take them both to the hospital." That was the last thing I heard before I blacked out.


	16. Chapter 16

I woke up after I was placed in a hospital bed. The shifting of my body is what woke me. I attempted to sit up, but when I did, I clutched my stomach in pain. I groaned and blinked at my surroundings. My team and the remainder of Kiba's team were in the room too. I looked over to my left and Kiba was asleep in the bed next to me.

"You should be resting." Kakashi said. I looked up at him and sat up in my bed, ignoring the waves of pain.

"I'm fine." I said. "You need to know what happened." Kurenai walked over to me and looked into my eyes with her red ones. I blinked and turned away from her.

"Who did this to you?" Sasuke asked with balled up fists. I shook my head.

"I'm alright, really." I said stubbornly. "I don't know who did it. But he was a tall man. He was wearing a mask and cloak and... Is Kiba-kun going to be alright?"

"Yes, he'll be fine once the nurses take a look at him." Kurenai said and I nodded. "What else can you remember?" I looked down.

"When Kiba-kun confronted him...the man got rid of him quickly." I recalled. "He didn't want him in the way while he came after me. He...he took his time. He talked to me. He knew my name!" I started to breathe heavily. I was getting scared all over again. My hands were trembling and my brow got sweaty.

"Ayame-chan, you need to take a breather." Sakura said to me. "You just-"

"How can I recuperate, knowing that man is out there?" I asked incredulously. "He has the ability to hurt people whenever and however he pleases! We need to find out who he is!"

"No, Ayame." Kakashi sighed. "_We _need to find out who he is. You need to recover." I rolled my eyes and leaned forward, but whimpered out of reflex. "My point exactly."

"Alright, sensei." I groaned. I leaned back on my elbows and exhaled a breath. "So, what will you do?" Kakashi scratched his head.

"Well, from what you've told us, it seems that this stranger to the village is solely intent on hurting you. I'm thinking that- as long as someone is around to guard you as we search- he'll turn up sooner or later." Kakashi explained. Why did he have to say that?

"I'll do it, Kakashi-sensei." Sasuke offered. "I won't leave her side."

"Wow, Sasuke-kun that is so sweet and thoughtful!" Sakura drooled, but I knew she wanted to punch me.

"I guess you're better than nothing, Sasuke." Kakashi said and Sasuke nodded.

"Hinata, can you tell if Ayame's chakra network has been disturbed?" Kurenai asked and Hinata nodded. She walked over to my bedside. Hinata had short purple hair and purple eyes.

"Byakugan!" She called and veins became apparent near her eyes. I flinched slightly and caught a glimpse of Sasuke's angered features. "K-Kurenai-sensei. A-Ayame-chan's chakra n-network seems to b-be in t-tact." Hinata stammered. She dismissed the dojutsu she used along with the veins by her eyes.

"Thank you, Hinata." Kurenai said and Hinata nodded. She looked back at me and I smiled. She slightly blushed, but smiled back.

"Kurenai-sensei." Shino- the final member of Team Kurenai- said. "With Kiba temporarily out of it, what will we do?" Kurenai looked at her sleeping student.

"Go home for now." She said. "All of us should. Kakashi and I will search around for the man who attacked your friends."

"Wait!" I suddenly said. I looked at my left hand, which had a cut on it. "I punched his mask, but it cracked. So, it's reasonable to assume that the man has a cut or multiple cuts on his face."

"Good job, Ayame. Now rest. We'll be back later." Kakashi said and they all filed out of the room, except for Sasuke, that is.

"So, was my fight with Kiba-kun fun to watch?" I asked and Sasuke sighed. He pulled up a chair and sat next to my bed.

"I suppose so." He said unenthusiastically.

"Oh, what? You didn't enjoy seeing me beat Kiba-kun?" I pouted and Sasuke smiled a little. "There's my Sasuke-kun." I raised my hand up and stroked his cheek. He held my hand against his face, keeping it there.

"I'm so angry." He said in a calm enough voice. "How could I have not been there?" I sighed and laid my head back.

"It was in the spur of the moment." I said. "Kiba-kun and I went into the woods after we knew there was someone in there. I'm not sure why we went, but the man would have came after me eventually."

"But you're in pain now." Sasuke argued.

"No I'm not." I lied. Sasuke raised his hand and reached for my stomach. I flinched and grabbed his hand with my free one. "Stop it."

"Fine." Sasuke said. He brought both hands into his lap, releasing the hand I had on his face. I laid my arms across my chest and closed my eyes.

"Sasuke-kun?" I asked.

"Yes?"

"Please don't leave me." I said. I opened my eyes and turned my head to look at my friend. Sasuke smiled. He leaned forward and kissed my forehead.

"I'll be here as long as you need me to be." He promised. He reclined again and I smiled, blush spreading across my face.

"Thank you." I whispered. I looked up at the ceiling and closed my eyes. Sasuke held my hand as I slowly drifted off into sleep.

_Kiba was being attacked by the man again. Only this time, I couldn't get anywhere near them. _

_"Stop! Stop hurting him!" I screamed. The man's laughter rang through my head. I felt my eyes well up with tears. "Please! It's me you want, isn't it!? Leave my friend alone!" _

_Thunder cracked and lightning flashed. It started to pour down rain. The man punched Kiba in the jaw, and I heard a crack. Kiba's jaw must be broken now. I ran towards them. As soon as I reached where they were, they jumped farther away from me. No matter how fast I ran, I couldn't get close enough. _

_"No!" I howled and suddenly, I was outside of my body. _

_My nails started to grow longer, as did my hair, if that was possible. It looked mangy, too. My mouth turned into a snarl. My spine started to curve into a canine-like form. I was turning into the beast I was. The beast inside of me. _

"No!" I shouted as I snapped my eyes open. I sat up and looked around the room frantically. I looked at my hands and my nails were short and neat, like usual. There was a bandage on my left hand from where I had scratches. The nurses must have tended to me in my sleep.

"Hey, she's alive." Kiba's voice snapped me out of my thoughts. "How you holding up?" I lifted up my shirt just enough to see I have bandages for my broken ribs. I groaned and looked at Kiba, who was reading a magazine.

"I'm bedridden. How do you think I am?" I asked bitterly and Kiba sighed.

"Well, with those ribs of yours, I don't see you doing much anyway." Kiba said and looked down the bed at his feet. "Right, Akamaru?" I looked the the foot of Kiba's bed and his small dog companion was there.

"Wait, if Akamaru-kun is there, then where is-" I was interrupted by yipping. I lifted up my blanket and found my dog, curled up in a ball. "Found you! Hey, where did Sasuke-kun go?"

"You mean your boyfriend?" Kiba chuckled. "He went to grab some ramen for you. Now, isn't that sweet?" Kiba mocked. He laughed, but winced from pain. I flinched just looking at him.

"I'm sorry you're here." I apologized. "If I hadn't-"

"Hey, I would have went in the woods anyway." Kiba chuckled. "Don't flatter yourself, Ayame-chan." I blushed and chuckled. Thunder boomed outside and I gasped in fear. "Well, someone's on edge."

"I...I just had a bad dream is all." I sighed.

I slipped out of bed and slowly walked into the bathroom. I turned on the faucet and washed my face. I also let my hair down and wore my hairband on my wrist. I walked back out and over to Kiba's bed.

"Your hair is long." Kiba said, looking up from his magazine. "Like...really long." I smiled.

"So I've been told." I chuckled. "I've also been told that I ought to keep it down more often."

"Whoever told you that is right." Kiba said. I blushed and strolled back over to my bed.

"Ugh, I'm starving." I groaned as my stomach begged for attention.

"Don't worry, your dreamboat will be back soon." Kiba chuckled. I sighed.

"Sasuke-kun isn't my-" The door opened in the middle of my sentence. Sasuke came in, holding a cup of ramen from the cafeteria.

"I'm back." He said. He smiled at me. "You're awake. Good. I got you some food."

"Thanks Sasuke-kun." I smiled. I took a hold of the cup and peeled off the top, letting the steam hit my face. It was chicken flavored! My favorite! I broke the chopsticks Sasuke handed me and dug in. "Itadakimasu!"

I chowed down while Sasuke tolerated Kiba's story about the latest mission. I can understand why Sasuke can be jealous, but why me? I just didn't get it. Kiba was pretty cute in my eyes, but I didn't really think of him that way.

"Hey." I said to Sasuke after I finished eating and Kiba was done talking. "Can we go outside? I need to move." Sasuke looked out the window into the darkness of the night, watching the lightning flash.

"I don't know, Ayame-chan." I placed my hands on top of his.

"Please? Pretty please?" I batted my eyelashes. Sasuke blushed and sighed.

"I guess we could go up to the roof for a bit." Success!

I smiled as he helped me out of bed. Kiba smirked at me upon our exit and I rolled my eyes at him. Sasuke took me up the stairs and through the last door at the top. We opened it up and me bare feet got splashed with droplets of rainwater. I stuck my head outside and my nose got water on it. I pulled back and giggled.

"Let's go!" I shouted over the wind. I ran outside, ignoring the pain and enjoying the rain. I spun around and when I stopped, Sasuke was facing me. He was already soaking like I was. Our faces were mere inches apart. Thunder boomed and I jumped. Sasuke smiled.

"I'm not going to let anything hurt you." He said. I smiled back at him.

"Promise?" I asked. Sasuke looked into my eyes and my heart melted. He closed his eyes and leaned into me. I closed my eyes as I felt his soft lips resting against mine. I wrapped my arms around his neck and he held my waist. I saw lightning flash through my eyelids. Sasuke pulled away from me and smiled.

"I promise. We should get you inside or you'll get sick." He said and I sighed, but nodded. We walked back to the door and walked through. I was shivering and Sasuke chuckled.

"Sh-Shut up." I said. Sasuke laughed and walked over to me. He pecked my lips and I blushed. "Just take me to my room, Sasuke-kun. Please."

He nodded ad held my hand as he walked me back to my room. Kissing Sasuke was the best feeling I had ever experienced. It was filled with heat and passion. It just felt right.


	17. Chapter 17

"Sasuke-kun?" I asked as we neared my hospital room.

"Yes, Ayame-chan?"

"If you get sick, you can always have that free bed that's next to- itai!" I wasn't watching where I was going and bumped into a random wheelchair. The handle of it hit me right in the ribs and my legs trembled underneath me.

"Ayame-chan! Are you alright?" Sasuke asked as he caught me from hitting the floor. I whimpered in response.

Sasuke picked me up in his arms and carried me into my room. The door was already open, so I assumed that Kiba got a visitor. We walked in and I saw Shikamaru playing a game of shoji in Kiba's bed. I cried out in pain as Sasuke's chest bumped against my bandages.

"Sorry!" Sasuke apologized as he set me on my bed.

"What happened to you two?" I heard Shikamaru ask. "And why are you both wet?"

I almost forgot that Sasuke and I were both completely soaked. I started shivering as I sat up in my bed. I looked over at the two sitting in the bed next to mine and gave them a weak smile.

"W-We went outside." I stammered. "A-And I smacked m-my ribs into a-a wheelchair."

"After I promised not to let anything hurt you, too." Sasuke muttered softly, so only I heard it.

"I'm fine though." I said, taking in deep breaths. "So, Shikamaru-kun, are you winning?" I asked.

"You know it!" He said triumphantly. I looked over at him and his usually bored expression had a broad grin in its place. "Wanna play after I'm done here?" He asked and I shook my head.

"I like watching people play others instead." I said. "But thanks any-"

"Oh, Sasuke-kun!" I heard a familiar voice that belonged to Ino- a member of Shikamaru's team. "What are you doing here?" She asked as she gave him a hug from behind.

"I'm watching Ayame-chan." Sasuke grunted. "Get off, would you?"

Ino did as she was told. As she did that, Asuma-sensei- Shikamaru's teacher- and Choji- A part of Team Asuma- stepped into the room. Choji was eating from a bag of Bar-B-Q potato chips, while Asuma had an unlit cigarette hanging from his lips. Asuma waved at me as Ino sat on the end of my bed.

"Why do you have to watch Ayame-chan?" Ino asked, half glaring at me.

"That's confidential." Sasuke said, not even looking at her. Ino pouted and shot daggers at me.

"Hey, Kiba. Ayame." Asuma said, nodding at both of us. "We heard you guys were wrapped up in the hospital, so we came to wish you well." I smiled.

"How kind and considerate of you, Asuma-sensei." I said. "Well, be sure to know that Kiba-kun is in much better shape than me." Kiba laughed.

"Don't flatter yourself, Ayame-chan!" He said with a wide smile. "Did the guy fling you around? I don't think so."

"Hey, man! I have a pair of broken ribs!" I said wincing at the shouts I was creating. "Call me when it hurts to laugh." I smirked. Kiba waved his hand and dismissed me.

"Checkmate!" Shikamaru called when we stopped bickering. "I win, Kiba."

"Oh, what!?"

"Alright, Shikamaru, Ino, Choji." Asuma cleared his throat. "Let's get out of here so your friends can rest." Shikamaru packed up his shoji game and fist bumped Kiba. He waved and smiled at me.

"Feel better, guys." He called. Choji smiled and waved at me, too.

"Get well soon, Ayame-chan! Later, Kiba!" He said and I smiled.

"Bye, Sasuke-kun! Heal up, Kiba-kun and Ayame-chan." Ino said with the least enthusiasm. Asuma waved at us as he led his team out of the room. The door closed behind them.

"This bites." I groaned. I got out of my bed and gently held my left side, where my ribs were broken. I walked over to the window and looked out of it. I sighed and turned around to face the boys in the room. "When are they supposed to kick you out, Kiba-kun?"

"Ah, who knows?" He asked rhetorically. "I think some medical ninja are giving us some sort of chakra treatment tomorrow." I groaned.

"Are you kiddig?" I asked as he shook his head. "Ugh. How troublesome." I spat just as the door opened. Iruka came for a visit and I smiled.

"Iruka-sensei!" I cheered as I hurried over to him. I gave him a small hug and he tenderly returned the embrace.

"Hey, Ayame. Kiba." Iruka said. I felt him nod in Kiba's direction. "Hey, you should be in bed, young lady." I pouted, but went back to bed anyway.

"Happy?" I asked. Iruka nodded.

"Always. But...why are you and Sasuke wet?" He asked. I looked down at myself and lightly blushed.

"Magic?" I said and Iruka rolled his eyes, but smiled.

"Alright, well I just wanted to see how my old students were holding up is all." He said. He tussled Kiba's hair and the latter chuckled at this movement. "Seems to me that you're both just fine."

"Bruised, but not too terribly broken." Kiba shrugged. I laughed painfully.

"Speak for yourself!" I said. Iruka looked at me with a weak smile.

"I guess I should leave you to rest then." Iruka offered. He waved as he left. "Rest up. Feel better, kids."

"Bye Iruka-sensei." Kiba and I called in a unison.

I sighed as I sat up with crossed legs. I intertwined my fingers and held my hands in my lap, wrist up. I sat up as straight as I could, without the pain being too terrible. I slowly inhaled and exhaled. I figured that I might as well meditate since I haven't in a while and I can't do much of anything else.

I thought about the man. I thought about how odd the timing for this all was. Zabuza tells me that someone is intent on murdering me then a stranger turns up out of the blue and attacks Kiba and I? Sadly, it was all adding up. I realize that I'm going to have to kill him first.

His laugh rang into my mind. The way he said my name. So full of hate and anger, but he masked his emotions well. But not well enough for me not to notice. I remember the way Kiba looked. How powerless and hurt he was, just lying in the dirt. I had to avenge Kiba. I had to kill this man before he harmed anyone else.

I felt my eyes start to sting at the thought of him hurting Sakura or Naruto or even Sasuke. I clenched my fists in anger and frustration. Who was he!? I felt warm liquid fall down my cheeks. I opened my eyes and sniffled then wiped my face dry of tears.

"Are you alright?" Sasuke whispered.

I lied by nodding. He reached for my face and wiped away a stray tear from my cheek. I looked over at Kiba who was quietly snoring in his bed with Akamaru, curled up next to him. I sniffled again and blinked some more tears out of my eyes. Sasuke wiped those away too. I looked up into his dark eyes and he looked into my grey ones.

"I...I should get some rest, ne?" I asked and he nodded.

He leaned in and gently kissed me. I ran my fingers through his still wet hair as he kept his lips connected to mine. He leaned in deeper and I laid back in the bed as he stayed over me. He lifted his head up and looked down at me. He kissed my cheek and sat back in his chair. I let out a breath I didn't know I was holding and closed my eyes. Sasuke held my hand again as I fell asleep.

...

"Ayame. Wake up." A voice called to me. I groaned and slowly opened my eyes.

"Ow. The light. It burns." I said in monotone and there were chuckles. I slowly sat up and saw Kiba's team and my own. Kage, who I almost forgot was there in the first place, was sitting happily on my lap. "How long was I-"

"It's noon." Kakashi said. "So a while. Don't feel bad, Kiba is still asleep too. Or was." I looked over and saw a groggy Inuzuka boy.

"Get up bum, we have visitors." I said and he groaned.

"Who turned on the lights so bright?" He asked. I shrugged.

"They're trying to torture us because I ate ramen without Naruto-kun."

"You did!? Onee-san!" Naruto pouted. I smirked as I noticed the two strangers near my bed.

"Hello, Ayame." The female strange said to me. She had pale blue hair and bright eyes with a friendly smile. I smiled back. "My name is Nini and this is my partner Riku. I'm here to speed up the healing process. May I?" I eyed her partner over. He had slick black hair and vibrant green eyes.

"Sure... What do I-"

"Just lay back. We'll handle the rest." The- I assume she was- medical ninja said. They must be here to administer the chakra treatment. "Alright, I'm just going to apply some pressure."

I nodded and I felt her warm hands on my ribs. I gripped the sheets as I tried not to cry out. She poked and prodded at it for a bit longer. I gained a sweat on my brow. I saw Nini whisper something to Riku and he nodded, then moved to my right side.

"Ayame, I'm going to fuse my chakra into your bones so they will be rebound." Nini said to me. "Riku might have to restrain you, merely because it will hurt for a moment."

"Okay." I said clearing my throat. "Alright, do it."

Nini looked across my bed at Riku, who nodded and positioned his hands above my forearm and bicep. I looked at Nini, whose hands were encased in green chakra. She put her hands on my ribs and I immediately bucked, but stayed in place the rest of the time, thanks to my will and Riku's strength. My eyes were wide as I felt my bones realign and fuse back together. It hurt just as much as when they broke.

"Almost done." Nini said and I bit my lip.

She was right, it really did hurt, but I tried not to let it show. I knew there was an expression of straining in my face, but that wasn't even half of what I was feeling.

"There." Nini said, removing her hands from my body. "Good as new." I panted and wiped the sweat off my brow with my now free hand. "How do you feel?" I sat up weakly as I felt my ribs. I was expecting it to throb, but it didn't. I felt great!

"Hey, whoa!" I laughed. "Wow, thanks! It feels great!" I looked up at Nini with a smile and she returned it.

"It was my pleasure. Go on and try walking while we help your friend." She said and left to help Kiba with Riku.

I jumped out of bed and twisted my back. I heard my spine pop and I sighed. It felt good. Don't judge. I bent down and touched my tows then stood up straight again to see my team smiling at me. Well, Sasuke kept a poker face, but still.

"Good to have you back." Kakashi said and I smiled.

"Good to be back." I said. Naruto dashed up to me and gave me a big hug, seeing as I could receive one now.

"Onee-san, can we get some ramen now?" He asked and I laughed.

"Maybe later, Onii-san." I said. "Kakashi-sensei, do we have a mission as of now?" Kakashi sighed and shook his head.

"We'll be assigned one tomorrow." He said. "It's a little too late to start a C Ranked mission now."

"Heh. Sorry."


	18. Chapter 18

I went home after I was released from the hospital. Kiba was fine too, but his healing only took half the pain that I went through. I tried not to think about it as I cleaned my house. Picked up this, washed that, did a load of laundry- nothing too strenuous. I just thought about the stranger. I tried not to, but I knew it was necessary. I jumped when there was a knock on the door. The incidet yesterday left me frigid and on alert at all times. I opened the door just a crack as I held a kunai behind my back.

"Ayame-chan." It was Sasuke, of course. My overprotective Sasuke. I opened the door and let him in. "What are you doing here?" He asked. I raised an eyebrow.

"I live here."

"Oh, no. I'm not about to let you stay here, unprotected." Sasuke said. "Pack a bag, you're staying with me for a while. Or at least until this mess is sorted out." I blushed, but shook my head as I walked to my kitchen to prepare Kage's meal.

"Sasuke-kun, I'll be-"

"Don't argue with me." He cut me off. "I'll take you- whether you like it or not." I paused after pouring the food for my dog. I stood up straight, but didn't dare look at Sasuke as I spoke.

"If I need to defeat the stranger...I should be able to defeat you too." I said. I took a glimpse at Sasuke's expression, but he used his poker face on me. I sighed. "If it makes you feel better, I'll stay with you. Alright?" Sasuke gave me a weak smile.

"Good to hear." He said. "Kage can come too." I chuckled darkly.

"Wouldn't want the stranger coming here and killing the dog, ne?" I said. The atmosphere I provided my home upon my arrival was so dark, I couldn't help myself from being bitter. "I'll grab some clothes."

I didn't know what to bring, so I just got enough clothes for three days, knowing I could always wash the clothes or come back for more. I packed all of my ninja gear- kunai, shuriken and other blades. I also brought two books, but that was only so I would feel at home. I also packed a big container of Kage's food.

"Alright, let's go." I said, slinging a backpack onto my shoulders. "Kage-kun, follow."

Sasuke opened the door for Kage and I as we left my home. I locked the door and we went off to Sasuke's house. The trip was silent. I'm sure Sasuke was thinking about what I had said to him. I had felt a lot like Naruto when I said it, but it was true. I think Sasuke had a chance against the stranger, but he was my target. My opponent. Mine to kill.

"Home sweet home." Sasuke sighed when we finally reached his flat. He didn't live with the rest of his clan because...well because they were slaughtered. I was foggy on the details I had heard from adults at certain tea houses, but from what I gather, Sasuke was the sole survivor of the Uchiha clan.

Sasuke flat wasn't quite as decorated as mine. His home had tan walls, while mine were a dark, blood red color. He didn't have a lot of furniture either. A kitchen table and two chairs to go with it, a love seat and a small bed in the bedroom that didn't have a door. It was cozy, but also had a lack of...love, I think is what you'd call it? I understand, of course. I wasn't going to ask him about his decor selection anytime soon.

"Nice place." I commented. He smiled at me.

"Thanks." He said. He took my bag off my shoulders and set it on the floor of his room. "It's not much, but thanks anyway."

I looked out the open window and breathed in the fresh air. It was sunset and Sasuke's window had an amazing view of the horizon. I stared out into it, gazing in awe.

"Tell me what you're thinking." Sasuke said, sitting on the small couch of a love seat that was against the wall.

"You have quite a lovely view." I said in monotone. "Better than mine, definitely." I heard Sasuke chuckle.

"Are you talking about the window, or the girl I'm looking at?" He asked and I blushed, not that he could see.

I heard shuffling behind me, but kept staring at the beautiful sky. Before I knew it, Sasuke's warm arms were around my waist and his chin was resting on my shoulder. I was blushing madly, but managed to calm myself down before he turned me around to face him. He tucked some hair that was in front of my eye behind my ear and looked at me thoughtfully.

"I will protect you. Okay?" He said. I nodded and yawned. I was pretty wiped by the end of the day. "Tired?"

"A little, I guess." I nodded. He held my hand and attempted to lead me to his bedroom, but I just stood there and pouted. "Carry me." I said like a child and Sasuke laughed.

He picked me up in his arms as my own arms were wrapped around his neck. I looked up at Sasuke's face as he walked. The amount of pain an misery, mask by a solid pokerface that only I can see past. I am the only one he allows into his world. I felt grateful and blushed at my own epiphany.

When Sasuke entered his room, he laid me on the bed, but I didn't unlock my intertwined fingers from around his neck. He smirked at my unwillingness to let go and leaned into me. I closed my eyes and once again felt his warm lips be pressed into mine. Is it wrong to use the word 'soulmate'? I felt incredible electricity whenever he kissed me and I never wanted that feeling to fade.

Sasuke put his hands on either side if me and I whimpered, wanting more. The kiss was getting deeper and Sasuke was basically on top of me. I constantly ran my fingers through his raven hair and he ran his hands up and down my sides, gently caressing me.

"S-Sasuke." I gasped whenever our lips separated.

Sasuke lifted his lips off of mine and we both panted during our break. Sasuke rolled over and lied down beside me. I cuddle up to his chest, still catching my breath. I heard Sasuke's quickened heart rate and I was glad that I could return the satisfaction he gave me.

"I'll be right back." Sasuke said after a moment. I got off so he could stand up. I watched him walk over to his closet and when he got there, he took off his shirt. I blushed deeply as I stared as his form again. "Is this alright? If I sleep like this with you?" Sasuke asked, seeing my red face.

"H-Hai." I stammered. "I'll be fine." I said, blush not fading.

Sasuke smiled and went back to his side. I yawned and turned my back to him. He wrapped my arms around my waist and pulled me close. I felt his bare arms on my skin and I shivered. Sasuke's legs curved and fit into mine. My heart quickened. Sasuke Uchiha was really spooning me! I giggled at my thoughts and backed deeper into Sasuke's body.

"Wait, do you need to change?" Sasuke asked. I pouted.

"But I'm so comfortable." I said. Sasuke chuckled and raised his head to kiss my cheek.

"Whatever you say, Ayame-chan." Sasuke sighed.

I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. I drifted off to sleep in Sasuke's arms.


	19. Chapter 19

****This chapter gets a little steamy later on**.**

**Just sayin'.**

_There was a woman. She looked very familiar in my eyes. I tried to place where I'd seen her when it hit me. Kitai. It was my mother. What was she doing here? In fact, where was here? Where the heck were we?_

_"Mother!" I called out, but she didn't hear me. _

_She knelt down and a little boy ran into her arms. I tilted my head in confusion. Who was the boy? I got a better look at him and remembered who he was. He was the child who saw me as a baby with those hateful eyes. _

_"Mama has to go now, Akio." Kitai said. The little boy, Akio, was sniffling, incapable of forming words. "I will always love you, okay? I'll come back. I don't know when, but I will. I love you, Akio."_

_Kitai stood up and turned her back on the child as she walked away. My own eyes started to water at the sight. Why would she leave him? What on Earth would make her turn her back on her own child? My...my brother? _

_"No!" I screamed at her. "What are you doing!? Go back to him!" She didn't hear me, even when I was screaming at the top of my lungs. "STOP!"_

"DON'T GO!" I shouted as I shot upright in bed. I was panting and crying. I brought my knees to my chest and sobbed into my folded arms.

"Ayame-chan?" Sasuke asked. He sat up and wrapped an arm around my shoulder. "What happened?" He asked. I sobbed again, unable to form words like Akio, the boy in my dream.

But I didn't think it was a dream. It was so real, like it actually happened in the past. So, it was a memory. A vision? Whatever it was, it wasn't like any other memory I recalled before. When I saw my mother for the first time, it wasn't this vivid. I was shaking from holding in my sobs. Tears were streaming down my face like rivers.

"Ayame." Sasuke said. I looked up at him. My eyes still stung and the tears didn't stop. "What's going on?"

"I-It was- It's n-nothing." I lied. Badly. I looked away from Sasuke. "I need some air." I got out of bed before Sasuke could protest.

I went to the window and opened it up. I inhaled the air as I dabbed remaining tears away. Kitai. Why did she leave my brother? Was my father ever in the picture? I needed to know. How was I going to find this stuff out? Through more visions? There was no way I could stand any more. I balled my fist and bared my teeth.

"I need help." I muttered under my breath.

"Then let me in." Sasuke's voice startled me and I jumped. "Sorry."

"It's fine." I forgave and turned to him. "I guess I could change, now." I sighed. I went to go back into the bedroom, but Sasuke stopped me by grabbing my arm. "Sasuke-kun, I don't like that." It made me uncomfortable this time. I could not explain it, but it didn't matter. Sasuke didn't let go.

"If you would just tell me what's happening with you." Sasuke said, gripping my arm tighter.

"Please let go." I whispered. I shed another single tear and Sasuke released his grasp.

"Ayame-chan, I'm sor-"

"Just forget it." I said. I went into his room and sat on the floor as I searched through my bag.

I took out one of the kunai and held it in my hand as I examined it. I set it on the ground next to me as I pulled out my pajamas- which was just a tank top and sweat pants. I went into Sasuke's bathroom and quickly changed. I looked at my reflection, but I didn't see myself. I saw a girl I'd never seen before. A stranger. Who the hell was I?

I left the bathroom and put my day clothes in my pack. I sat down on the bed, but kept the kunai in my hands as I held my knees to my chest. Sasuke put a hand on my shoulder and I jumped. I turned around and Sasuke gently laid a hand on the one the was gripping the knife. He took it out of my hand and set it on his bedside table.

"I'm sorry." The words rushed out of my mouth. Sasuke shook his head.

"Don't be." He said. "It's fine. I'm sorry I grabbed you."

I sighed as I laid back with Sasuke. I stared at the ceiling and tried to fall back asleep, but I just couldn't. I groaned as I straddled myself on top of Sasuke's body. I placed my hands on his chest ad leaned into him.

"I am so frustrated." I said to him. I almost didn't see it in the dark of night, but he was blushing. "I keep remembering random parts of my past, but I don't know what it all means!" I complained. "Why is your heart beating so fast?" I asked innocently.

"Hn. You're so full of-" I stopped him from speaking by slamming my lips into his. I guess I just needed something to take all my energy away so I could sleep again.

I moved my hips forward ad Sasuke grunted in response to my movement. I chuckled briefly when our lips parted. Sasuke put his hands on the back of my thighs and I shivered. He rolled over and was on top of me. I wrapped my legs around his waist as we kissed deeply. Sasuke brought his hands behind my back and pulled me up, so I was sitting on his lap.

"S-Sasuke-kun." I gasped as his hands went lower. I moaned, but bit my lip to keep any others from escaping. Sasuke smirked at me.

"Am I exciting you, Ayame-chan?" He asked and I swallowed.

"Just a bit." I said breathlessly.

Sasuke laughed, but I attacked his lips so violently, we fell to the floor with a thud. We didn't care, though. We were more concerned about each other. Sasuke rolled on top of me again and I went to move my hands, but he pinned them above my head as he attacked my mouth. He moved his mouth lower, kissing my neck and I cried out in pleasure. I felt Sasuke's lips curl into a grin.

I arched my back as he went lower and I moved my hips too, grinding into him. Sasuke released a sexy moan that excited me more than I care to admit. I rolled over with all the strength I had until I was on top of him. We were both panting as we stared at each other.

"I think I'm starting to like you, Sasuke-kun." I teased with a smirk. Sasuke rolled his eyes at me. I pulled the blanket off of Sasuke's bed and covered both of us up as we fell asleep on the floor.

...

I woke up at sunrise with a shirtless Sasuke. On the floor. How did we...oh right. Heh. I guess that I have someone to do these things with, I just want to do it more. I sat up and looked at Sasuke's sleeping body. I smirked as I straddled myself on top of him to wake him up. That didn't work, so I wiggled my hips. Sasuke moaned my name and I blushed.

"Hm?" Sasuke yawned as he opened his eyes. He saw the situation he was in a blushed.

"Good morning." I said with a smile.

"Great morning." Sasuke corrected.

He sat up, with me still on top of him, and pulled me in for a passionate kiss. I whimpered quietly. Sasuke held my back and one of my thighs as he stood up and set me on the bed as we kissed. He glided his tongue on my bottom lip and I shuddered, but allowed him entry. Sasuke had an incredibly unique taste I'd never experienced.I moaned loudly and entered my own tongue into Sasuke's mouth. He grunted softly and parted our lips for a moment.

"Ayame-chan." He whispered my name and I bit my lip.

"Yes, Sasuke-kun?" I asked. He connected our foreheads as we panted.

"Will you be my girlfriend?" He asked and I blushed crimson red.

"Hm. Let me think about it." I teased. Sasuke chuckled and pecked my cheek as he slid off the bed. He went into the living room and I spasmed with excitement. "Yes, yes, yes!" I whispered to myself.

"So, I take it you accept my offer?" Sasuke said, poking he head into the bedroom. I blushed and nodded while Sasuke smiled. "I'm glad." He left and I lied back in the bed.

Sasuke Uchiha was my boyfriend. I was his girlfriend! Me! Out of anyone in the village, he chose me. I sighed lustfully as I jumped out of bed. I walked into the living room and Sasuke was smiling broadly while looking out the window. I grinned as I went back into the room and pulled out some clean clothes for the day. Without thinking, I took off my shirt and put on my clean one and did the same with my shorts.

"Hn." I heard from behind me. I stood up and turned around to see Sasuke stare at me with searching eyes. "That was pleasant." He said and I blushed. I didn't know he was watching.

"I, uh, just-"

"No need to explain." Sasuke said. He walked over to me and kissed my forehead. "You are my girl after all." My heart melted. I'm his girl.

I smiled sheepishly as Sasuke turned to look for a clean shirt. We had a mission today and we should be getting ready. I went to the bathroom then began to wash my face and pull my hair back. I realized that I wore my hair down all day yesterday. I groaned. I hates my hair down. Sasuke came into the bathroom and smile. At me as he styled his hair. I realized that I was the one who made it messy and blushed.

"Hm? Is everything okay?" He asked and I nodded.

"I was just, um, remembering last night." I said bashfully an Sasuke blushed too.

"Sorry if I got...rough or anything." He said, pointing to the bruises on my wrists from where he restrained me. I stared at it.

"It's okay." I said. "I kinda...liked it." I blushed deeply and Sasuke chuckled.

"I should do it more often then." We were about to kiss when there was a pounding on the door.

"Sasuke-kun!" It was Sakura. "Let's go to the Missions Office together! I'm sure Kakashi-sensei and the others are waiting for us!" My heart dropped.

"She...she can't know!" I whispered loudly. "She will murder me!"

"I've said it before, I'll protect you." Sasuke pecked my lips and held my hand as he guided me to the front door. I swiped my ninja tools as we headed out. Sasuke opened the door to find a beaming Sakura.

"There you are Sas-" Sakura stopped speaking when her eyes landed on me. "A-Ayame-chan?" She looked at me with hate.

"Hey, you got the idea of waking up Sasuke-kun, too?" I asked in fake amazement. "Wow, I just got here! Come on, let's go to the Missions Office, shall we?" Sakura eyed me over, analyzing me until she nodded.

"Let's go then." She said in an annoyed tone.

Sasuke shook his head at me as we left his home. He walked in between Sakura and I, but it was my hand he held as he walked to receive our mission.


	20. Chapter 20

When Sasuke, Sakura and I finally reached the Missions Office, Kakshi and Naruto were already waiting for us in the lobby. Kakashi was reading an IchaIcha novel- which, by the way, I've already read- and stuffed it in his large pockets when he heard us approach. Naruto waved at us and I casually released Sasuke's hand. The latter sighed and I felt a twinge of guilt in my stomach.

"Well, thanks to you being tardy, we got our mission without you three being briefed." Kakahi said in a slightly sassy tone. "We're on a Special Cargo Mission- meaning we are transporting a woman and her child, along with their supplies, to their store in the Land of Rice Patties. It's a two day trip to get there, but one day with our ninja speed. Ayame, your job is solely on protecting the child from robbers, while Naruto, Sasuke and Sakura carry their goods. I will guard the mother."

"Nani? Kakashi-sensei, I'm not-"

"It's just babysitting." My leader cut me off. "Don't get so worked up. Anyway, we're meeting them at the front gates, so we should get going now."

"Hai." My teammates and I said in unison. I was nervous. What if the child didn't like me? What if we didn't get along? I know it's just a kid, but still.

We went off to the front gates and waited for our clients. A woman with two men, who had their arms full of spices and other supplies, and a small boy, who was the spitting image of his mother. My three teammates went to get the items from the men and divided it up evenly amongst the three of them. They all placed the objects in backpacks as I went up to the boy and his mother with Kakashi.

"Hello, Hitari is your name, correct?" Kakashi asked and the woman nodded.

"Yes, and this is my son, Tsuyo." Hitari motioned to the boy next to her.

"I am Kakashi Hatake and this is Ayame. I will be guarding you while my partner guards Tsuyo." Kakashi introduced us. I bowed respectfully and Hitari nodded.

"Tsuyo, behave while we're on this journey, do you understand, young man?" Hitari asked her child. "These nice people are going to help us, okay? Be respectful."

"Okay, mama." Tsuyo said. He must have been five or six. He walked up to me and embraced my waist. "Hi, I'm Tsuyo. Will you be my friend?" He asked and I smiled.

"Of course I'll be your friend." I said, patting his back.

"Right then." Kakashi said. "Let's move, shall we?"

"Yes, good idea." Hitari said.

We started walking towards the gate, where my team was slinging backpacks on their shoulders, when Tsuyo held my hand. I looked down at him and smiled. I wondered if Sasuke would get jealous and I mentally laughed at myself. Sasuke smiled at me ad I returned it. Naruto stood behind Sasuke and stuck his tongue out at him. I shook my head and continued walking.

"Alright, team." Kakashi announced as we reached the gates. "Don't let your guard down and be careful. Let's move."

From my left to right, this is how we stood: Kakashi, Hitari, Sakura, Sasuke, myself, Tsuyo and Naruto. We had been walking for hours when Tsuyo started to complain about being tired and his feet hurting.

"Are we there yet?" Tsuyo and Naruto asked simultaneously. I rolled my eyes.

"Oh, brother." Sakura muttered.

"Tsuyo-kun." I said and crouched down. "Here, climb on my back." Tsuyo giggled as he hopped on my back. I stood up and caught up with the others. Tsuyo wasn't very heavy, so I just held onto his legs as he held onto me.

"Ayame-chan, what's your favorite color?" Tsuyo asked after a while.

"Red." I responded without hesitation.

"Why?"

"Because it's pretty and represents energy, war, passion and love." I said and glanced at Sasuke who I knew was smiling at the last word.

"Oh. That's cool." Tsuyo said. "Your hair is soft."

"Thank you." I chuckled. "Anyone ever tell you that you talk a lot?"

"Just my mama." Tsuyo said and we all chuckled lightly.

"Well, she's right." I said bluntly. "But I like hearing you talk." Tsuyo buried his face in my shoulder as he giggled.

"What's your favorite...food?" Tsuyo asked when he came up for air.

"Ramen all the way!" I cheered. "Right, Naruto-kun?" I asked and my blonde teammate smiled and held up his thumbs.

"Oh yeah, you know it!" He laughed. Tsuyo laughed too.

"Anymore questions, kid?" I asked and he thought. The silence hung for a bit until he spoke again.

"Why are your eyes so grey?" He asked. "It's weird."

"Tsuyo, you watch your mouth." Hitari hissed. I laughed and shook my head.

"It's quite alright, Hitari-san." I said. "Well, I don't really know why my eyes are grey. They should be brown, like my mother's, but I'm not sure what happened. I think I'm just special enough to have these eyes. And, by the way, my eyes aren't weird. You are." I said.

"Hey! I am not!" Tsuyo pouted and I laughed.

"Are too."

"Am not!"

"Are too!"

"I am not!"

"Alright, I guess you're not weird." I gave up and Tsuyo laughed.

"Haha! I win!" Tsuyo cheered and I shook my head.

We continued to travel for a few more hours, until we decided to take a small break. We sat on the ground as we rested our muscles and Tsuyo was sitting in my lap. He was playing with my hair as the rest of us chatted amongst ourselves. Sasuke sat with me and nudged my shoulder. I smiled at him and he returned it.

"How are you holding up?" He asked me and I sighed.

"Who knows?" He chuckled softly as he took a drink of water from his canteen. He offered some to me and I gratefully accepted it. "Can he have some?" I whispered, subtly motioning to Tsuyo. Sasuke nodded. "Tsuyo-kun, here. Drink some water."

"Huh? Oh, thanks!" He said and drank some of the water.

He sighed after he was done. I handed the canteen back to Sasuke when my ears twitched. I heard something. It wasn't from the woods, but it was too close for comfort. I shifted uneasily. I lifted Tsuyo off of my lap and onto the ground.

"Stay here." I said the to boy. "Watch him, please." I told Sasuke, who nodded, a concerned expression taking over his face. I walked to were Kakashi was and whispered into his ear. "We have unexpected company up ahead. Need me to check it out?" He thought for a moment.

"Yes. Do that and if you can't handle it, call for me. Understood?" He ordered and I nodded.

"Hai, sensei." I quickly darted off into the woods until I saw the roadblocking man.

I studied him closely. He was just standing in the middle of the road. I was hiding behind a tree, but I still had a good view of him. He was wearing a grey cloak, with the hood pulled over his head, so his face was concealed. I squinted my eyes to try to get a better view, when he called out of me.

"Come out, come out." He said creepily. "I know where you are."

"Alright, stranger." I said, stepping onto the path. "You made me. I'm guessing you're a shinobi, ne?" I asked and he shook his head.

"Shinobi? More like...rogue ninja." He said darkly. I worried a bit, but kept my face calm. "And I'm not a stranger. I'm sad that you don't remember me," He took his hood down and faced me. "Ayame." He had scratches on his face from where I punched him. He was the one who attacked Kiba and I.

"You?" I asked, attempting to mask my anger. "Why are you following me? How do you know my name? Are you the one who wants to kill me?" All my questions came out at once.

"You don't remember me, ungrateful brat!?" He asked angrily. I glared into his eyes until I recognized him. It couldn't be...

"You...you're the child that my mother left behind." I said. "The one who looked at me with those angry, hateful, blood thirsty eyes."

"That's right!" He shouted. "I'm the one my mother left, so she could run off with her other child!" He yelled at me, he grabbed a kunai and threw it at me. "YOU!" I dodged it, but it still managed to cut my hair shorter. My now short bangs fell over my face.

"Then you're Akio!" I said. "My big brother! My family that's alive! Where is Kitai? And our father?" Akio looked at me with vengeful eyes.

"They're dead." He said. "They're dead because of you! The monster my father created! The burden my father brought into this world! And the one I'm going to take out to avenge my father's death!"

Akio ran at me with a raised fist, but I jumped out of the way. I didn't want to hurt him. He was my big brother! Why was he trying to hurt me?

"Why do you think these things?" I asked. "What makes you think I'm to blame?" I asked, on the verge of tears. This is where I find everything out.

"Stupid girl! My father entrapped the damned wolf's sou. Into your body before you were born!" Akio shouted. "He was supposed to kill you, but my mother wasn't about to let that happen! So, what does she do!? She leaves her first born child alone to protect a mistake! A worthless piece of nothing!"

"He was...going to kill me?" I asked. I started to get angry. They were going to kill me because my father was arrogant? "What happened to our parents? How did they die?" I needed to know. Akio, now furious, screamed at me.

"YOU KILLED THEM LIKE THE MONSTER YOU ARE!" Akio lunged with the intent to kill.

I grabbed a kunai and deflected all his blows until he backed me up into a tree. I ducked and rolled out. Akio threw shuriken at me, some tattering my clothes and cutting my skin. I got angry and frustrated. He attacked Kiba. I remember my hatred. Brother or not- he will pay. I felt my nails grow and it hurt. My spine started to curve and I knew what was happening.

"See!? You ARE a monster!"

"I'LL KILL YOU!" I howled.

I ran on all fours and pounces on Akio. I went to scratch his chest open, but all I managed to do was cut into a log. He used substitution! I felt a splitting at my side and I screamed in pain. He cut me from behind. I did a back flip and landed a good ten feet away from him. I bit open my thumb and made hand signs.

"SUMMONING JUTSU!" I cried as I slammed my hand on the ground. A puff of smoke surrounded me as a giant wolf- which was about my height when on all fours- appeared next to me.

I growled as a form of communication. I was no longer human. I was a beast. I told the wolf to help me kill the man and he howled as saying he would. We both lunged at him, but Akio dodged us easily. He was in the middled of the path. I went on the other side of him and my wolf partner began to circle him.

"Ayame!" Kakashi called to me, but I ignored him. I lunges for Akio, attempting to bite his neck, but he vanished.

I snarled and looked around for him. I listened as I growled and when I thought I heard him, I leapt in that direction. I would have been successful if I wasn't pinned down by the very wolf I summoned. I growled at him, but he barked me down. I whined and gave in.

He looked over at where Kakashi was and I felt him vanish. I calmed down amd began to become my original form. Kakashi knelt over me.

"A-Are you angry with me?" I asked and he sighed.

"No, I'm not." He said. "Can you move?" I used my arms to push myself up until I was sitting on the ground.

"It was him." I said in a hoarse voice. "The stranger from the Village. He...I...he is my brother." I said. Kakashi's eye grew wide and I released the tears I was holding back. "He cut open my side. I suggest we get to the nearest town, get a room and wrap this up. Fast."

"You're right." I tried to stand, but immediately fell into Kakashi's arms.

"Sorry, sensei." I said. "I didn't mean to fail you."

"You're alright." Kakashi said. "Sasuke! Bring them down! It's safe!"

"I can still protect the boy." I said "I have a jutsu I can use."

Kakashi modded as the others came to us. I felt my clothes clinging to my body from all the blood. The women of the small group gasped, but I kept a smile.

"It's not aa bad as it looks." I chuckled and winced. "We need to keep moving. There is a town near by. Kakashi thinks we should go there and get a room."

"Ayame-chan, who-"

"That's a conversation for later, Sasuke." Kakashi said. "We need to move. Now."

I limped, while holding Tsuyo's hand, but I made him stay in the side of me where there wasn't any blood. We walked painfully slow and I tried not to pant, but the strain to do so made it worse. Every time there was a hill, Sasuke had to help me up it. I felt so weak and useless.

We finally reached a town and got a room. Kakashi told me to go into the bathroom and wait. I did as told. I waited for a moment and Sakura came in to help.

"I need to see your wound." Sakura said. I nodded an took off my blood soaked shirt.

Sakura got a towel and mopped up the extra blood while I flinched and winced at every dab. It was tender, the wound might not have been deep, but the nerves still hurt.

"Alright, Ayame-chan, now we have to clean it to prevent infection." Sakura said. I nodded. She got a rag and made it wet with soap. I gripped the counter as she made the initial dab.

"ITAI!" I shouted and slammed my fist down.

"Stop squirming!"

"I squirming because it hurts like hell!"

"It hurts like hell because you're squirming!" Sakura, out of frustration, slapped the rag on the entire length of my wound and the breath hitched in my throat.

"SAKURA! STOP." I shouted. It burned the inside of my skin and I was panting. "That really hurt." I muttered.

"Sorry, but it had to be done. Now, I'm going to put some medicated bandages on it."

"Alright. Thanks. Sorry I yelled." I whispered. I was grateful, but damn, it was hard to sit through. Sakura began to wrap my midsection in gauze. That part was tolerable.

After that was done, I put on a robe that was in the bathroom. I had to let my shirt soak in cold water to get the blood out. I was sweating for the treatment, but ultimately feeling better.

I left the bathroom shortly after Sakura did and all eyes were on me. Hitari and Tsuyo were already sleeping from their long day of travel. I stood tall as everyone was staring at me.

"The stranger from the Village new what our mission was somehow." I said, breaking the silence. "I can't successfully complete this mission because my own personal business will get our clients injured. I could stay behind and face this stranger on my own or-"

"Save it, Ayame." Kakashi sighed. "You're not staying. Don't think you can get out of this mission that easily."


	21. Chapter 21

After my team, our clients and I got some rest, we started our journey again to the land of Rice Patties, but at a faster pace. I wanted Tsuyo and Hitari out of the line of fire as quickly as possible. I was still able to protect the boy with a number of possible Earth Jutsu, but that only goes so far.

"Ayame-chan, are you okay?" Tsuyo asked as we walked. We left very early in the morning and it was midday by the time Tsuyo spoke, so I knew we were very near.

"Yes. I'm fine." I said, looking ahead. "Don't you worry, okay? Promise me." Tsuyo squeezed my hand.

"I promise." He said and I smiled weakly.

"That's my boy." I said to myself.

If Akio showed his face to me again, I knew I wouldn't be able to defeat him. Not on my own. And I wasn't going to let any of then help me. Not Kakashi. Not Sakura or Naruto. Not even Sasuke. I had to do this on my own. This was my brother, so it was my burden.

I thought about what Akio meant by what he said. The monster his father created. So it was my father's idea to put the wolf's spirit and chakra inside of me. So, when Kitai supposedly left to protect me after my father wanted to kill me, she had to have been against the whole wolf idea. She left Akio to protect me from my murderous father. One fact down.

Another fact: both of my parents were dead. Akio said that I killed them. What did that mean? I couldn't have directly killed someone when I was five, so what did it in? What was the cause? I narrowed my eyes as I thought, when suddenly, the burning of the curse mark made itself apparent. My muscles tensed.

"Ayame-chan? What's wrong?" Tsuyo asked. I struggled to form words with the pain I was enduring.

"I-I'm...fine." I choked out. With my tender wound and burning curse mark all on one side, it was almost overwhelming.

"No you're not!" Tsuyo accused.

"A-Am too." I begged to differ.

"Are not!

"Do n-not argue with me."

"You're a big, fat liar, Ayame-chan and you know it!" I stopped walking and knelt down so I was at eye level with Tsuyo.

"You made a promise to me, Tsuyo." I said with a solemn, yet weak voice. "You said you wouldn't worry about me and I expect you not to, do you understand me?" Tsuyo looked scared of my authority, but he nodded anyway.

I stood up and saw that my team had stopped as I did. I panted once and continued walking with Tsuyo's hand in mine. I felt the eyes of the people around me as I led the group. I realized that I made none of them promise not to worry and there was no point in attempting to.

We kept on walking until there was a structure on the horizon. I was fairly surprised that Akio didn't make his move yet. I guess he was waiting until I was alone. Like that's going to happen anytime soon. Anyway, we walked up the hill, which led to Hitari's Apothecary Shop.

"Home sweet home." Hitari sighed. "Now then, if you'll all just help me set my spices and tonics inside, please." She requested and my three ninja friends went inside along with Kakashi and Tsuyo. I remained outdoors, on the small porch.

"Akio." I said to myself. "Come out, come out. Wherever you are." I beckoned, knowing that no one else heard me.

I went inside the shop as all the items we helped deliver were brought out and put on nearly empty shelves. I watched as Tsuyo sat on my lap. My mind was still racing and I was still in pain, but I figured it would benefit Tsuyo if I toughened up. Teach him what his name means. Strength.

I rested my eyes for a brief moment of meditation. I saw something terrifying as soon as I shut my eyes and I couldn't open them until the vision completed. It was my mother and a strange man. I assumed he was my father because Akio shared some of his facial features. I couldn't hear what they were saying, but all I saw was my father grab my mother's arm and using his free hand to plunge through her throat with a kunai. Blood spewed the scene. Why had he done that? Why did my father kill my mother?

My vision rewound, going back in time to the beginning. The man was telling Kitai that he was going to kill the monster he created. Me. Kitai wouldn't let him and, as I tried to run away, Kitai died in the process. I assume she fatally struck him too, because Akio made it seem as if tey had died at the same time.

"Ayame-chan?" Sakura's voice made me open my eyes. "Do you need me to check your bandages?" I looked around me. I was still in the apothecary.

"Uh, sure. Thanks, Sakura-chan." I stood up and raised my arms up so Sakura could lift up my shirt as far as she needed. She stroked the more tender part of the wound and I flinched.

"Sorry."

"It's fine. Keep going if you need to." Sakura continued to poke and prod and I sighed in relief as it ended.

"You seem to be fine." Sakura said with a small smile. I lowered my arms and nodded at her. "Ayame-chan, your hair is messed up." She said. She reached for my hair and showed the shorter part of my hair to me. "Would you like me to fix it?" I shrugged and Sakura held my hand to guide me out of the shop.

We went a fairly decent distance, about sixty feet, away from the shop so my hair wouldn't blow near the store. Sakura got a kunai and starting fixing my hair. I didn't know what she was doing exactly, but I trusted her to do a good job. After a bit, she stood back to admire her work.

"I am good." She said.

I rolled my eyes, but heard running footsteps to the right of us. I saw him jump into the air and I made my move. I grabbed Sakura's shoulders and threw her back to the shop and I jumped out of the way just before Akio came crashing into the earth.

"Well, well. I like the new look, baby sister." Akio called. I gripped my side as I stood back up. "I sure hope you can handle me on your own this time. Hopefully your won't need to rely on your little fr-"

"Leave then out of this." I cut him off. "This has nothing to do with them, so just deal with me!" I made hand signs and looked at Akio. "Earth Style: Barrier no Jutsu!" I called and there was a massive dome that encased my entire team in earth and dirt, protecting them from the battle.

"Ayame-chan!" Sakura called. "Let us out!"

I ignored their cries as I looked at Akio.

"Well, I can't say I'm not impressed, Ayame." Akio said. "It's too bad you have to die!"

"It doesn't have to be like this!" I said. "If you would listen to-"

"Time for talk is over, little sister!" Akio sprinted at me with such speed, I almost wasn't able to dodge him.

I flipped out of the way, but gripped my side as I felt my wound tear. I only have one shot at my plan. It had to work. Akio kept coming at me, but I only kept moving out of the way.

"Oh, what's the matter!?" Akio screamed at me. "You talk big, Ayame! But we all know you're just a COWARD!"

I refused to let his words effect me. I just kept moving until I hit a patch of soft dirt. The perfect spot to execute my trap. I quickly made the hand signs I had memorized from a book about Earth Style imprisonment jutsu. I waited until just before Akio touched the ground to release the chakra I implanted in the dirt.

"Earth Style: Cocoon no Jutsu!" I called out and Akio's body was immediately incased in dirt. The dirt was infused with my chakra, so he couldn't get out and his hands were where they couldn't make signs.

"How did you-"

"When you were attacking me and I stayed on the ground, that was merely so I could infuse my chakra in the dirt around me." I explained. "But the softer kind of dirt is the easiest for me to manipulate and the hardest for my captive to escape from." Akio glared at me.

"Then what are you waiting for!?" He yelled. "Kill me, you beast!"

"Akio. Listen to me." I said."The night our parents died...you weren't there. I was. I saw what our father did to our mother. He killed her for trying to protect me. I had never harmed anyone prior to that, and you know that to be-"

"Stop, STOP!" Akio yelled at me. "I don't want to hear you smear my father's memory with your lies!" I moved my chakra in the cocoon Akio was in so he was at eye level with me.

"Look into my eyes." I said calmly. "And tell me if I'm lying." Akio's hard expression gradually softened until he looked away from me.

A released the jutsu on him and my team, so Akio was out of the cocoon and the others were out of their dome. I turned my back on Akio as I looked ay the horizon.

"You know." Akio said. "You should never turn your back on the enemy!" Akio said and attempted to stab me in the back, only to succeed in stabbing a log. "What!?" I came up behind him and stabbed him in the back instead. But I wasn't using a kunai. Instead, I was using a needle that had mental and physical paralysis toxin. Akio frll to the ground, landing on his back. He was unable to move.

"You could have listened and this wouldn't have happened." I made it sound like he was dying and for all he knew, he just might have been.

"What...did you do to me?" Akio whispered. I knelt next to him as he began to slip out of consciousness.

"You might hate me." I said. "But I've come to a realization. I don't need to kill you. I don't need to exterminate you because you've been brainwashed to believe in the lies that were fed to you. Basically, you don't get to leave me again and I won't leave you. Even if you are a giant ass."

He was out. Gone. No longer lucid. The paralysis would work for, potentially, days. I sighed. I tried to stand up, but I fell to my knees again. My wound was definitely torn. I inhaled deeply as I rose to my feet and stayed there. I looked at my brother. I left him unharmed and I hope that wasn't a mistake.

"Ayame." Kakashi called to me and appeared at my side. "What do you want to do?" I looked ahead at a random point in the sky.

"I want to take him into the Village." I said and continued before my sensei could protest. "He knows things about me that remain mysteries. I am determined to find out what they are. And...and I know what really happened. Akio does not. I need to do this."

"You know you're crazy." Kakashi sighed, but picked up Akio's body and slung him over his shoulder. "But if you have to do this." I smiled.

"Thank you, Kakashi-sensei." I said gratefully. "So, let's head home then."

I looked up the hill and saw Tsuyo on the porch. He looked concerned, but I only smiled and waved at him. He waved back and I looked at my team. Sasuke was the first to walk up to me and give me a gentle hug. He kissed the top of my head and I sighed.

"We should go." Kakashi said.

"Hai." My team agreed. I couldn't use my ninja speed, so Sasuke insisted I hold onto his back as we went home. I couldn't refuse because I would lose the argument. I just gave in and we all headed home. The only home I had. The only one I wanted.


	22. Chapter 22

****Again. Steamy... I should just change the rating to M.****

Kakashi dropped Akio off in a jail cell, hands and feet bound to keep him from attempting to escape. Not that he could with the state he would be in when he wakes up, but better safe than sorry. I got a brief healing session from Nini again when we got back to Konoha. I think she was assigned to me or our team or something. I don't really know how it all works.

Anyway, after my wound was all healed up, I went to Sasuke's house where Kage was waiting patiently. I hadn't cleared it with Kakashi to bring him on missions, so I just left him with enough food out to last two to three days. Kage was napping on the small couch when Sasuke and I walked in.

"Home at last." I muttered. If home is where the heart is, then my home is wherever Sasuke was. And at that moment I didn't want to think of anything else except for him. Not Akio. Not my past. I didn't want to think about the mysteries of my life. Just Sasuke.

Right after I took a shower. I really wanted one. I told Sasuke to wait for me and he agreed. I grabbed a pair of shorts and my tank top then headed into the bathroom. I turned on the water and stepped in, not noticing the temperature. I lathered lightly and sighed when it was time to get out. When I did, I dried my body and lightly dried my hair before I put my clothes on. I looked in the mirror and saw my new hair for the first time.

I had bangs now. Well, side bangs that covered my right eye, anyway. I flipped it out of my face and sighed. It didn't look too terrible, but I wish it was never cut in the first place. I wondered if Sasuke liked it. That's when I remembered he was waiting for me. I opened the bathroom door and stepped into the bedroom. A chill went up my spine as the cold air touched me.

I looked at the bed and Sasuke was- of course- without a shirt and reading a manga. I sighed and he looked up at me. He set his book down as I made my way to the bed. I laid down next to Sasuke on my stomach. I could feel Sasuke's hungry eyes move up and down my body as I laid there. I giggled into a pillow and Sasuke chuckled.

He grabbed my waist and pulled me so I was straddled on top of him. He kept his hands on me as he examined me. I blushed deeply as he moved his hands up and down my thighs. I bit my lip and Sasuke smirked.

"Don't tell me you're already excited." He teased.

"Don't make fun of me." I said as I placed my hands on his chest. Sasuke turned light pink. "Now who's excit-" Sasuke pounced on me and attacked my lips and tongue with his.

I felt his hands grab at my body and I moaned, wanting more than what I was getting. I so badly wanted to be on top of him, but Sasuke was strong and his warm body was pinning me to the bed. Our tongues wrestled in the deep kiss that we shared and he was winning. I whimpered at my defeat and Sasuke smirked.

He move his lips lower, kissing my neck and I moaned his name. That encouraged him to suck on my skin and I panted. He went lower and kissed my collar bone. I whimpered and he bit my skin lightly.

"S-Sasuke!" I whispered his name and he bit me harder. I cried out in both slight pain and pleasure.

He went even lower and kissed my chest. I arched my back and threw my head back, gasping for air. I got enough leverage to roll on top of him and sit on his waist. I panted as I smacked my lips onto his and ground my hips into his. He moaned in such a away that made me want to hear more.

I ran my hands up and down his chest, feeling every muscle. Sasuke put his hands on my back and moved lower and lower until he found what he was searching for. I gave a loud moan when he squeezed it. He chuckled.

"S-Stop being a jerk." I panted. Sasuke put his hand on the back of my head and pulled me in for a passion-filled kiss.

He stuck his tongue in my mouth and I shivered. I sucked on his tongue and he moaned for me. I kept doing that as Sasuke ran his hands all over my body. They kept moving until they slipped to the front of my shorts. He froze and so did I. I took my lips off of his and stared into his black eyes.

Sasuke moved his hand off of me and looked away. He was ashamed. I gently touched his face and moved it so he was looking at me. He looked at me with regretting eyes and I lightly kissed him.

"I shouldn't have done that." He said when I pulled away. "I shouldn't have."

"Stop. It's okay. Really." I tried to convince him. He just shook his head. He tried to sit up, but I kept him pinned on the bed.

"Let me up."

"No."

Sasuke groaned as he tried again, but I kept him down. I laid on top of him and I felt his heart beat in my own chest. I traced his muscles with a free hand and I saw him form goosebumps. I smiled as I continued to do this. I kissed his chest gently and he grunted in response. I smirked and kissed the remainder of his chest and moved my head down so I could kiss his abs.

Sasuke moaned my name and I blushed, but kept going. I felt him prop himself up on his elbows so he could watch me as I went. He moved some hair out of my eyes as I reached his bellybutton and stopped just at where his pants met skin. I could feel the heat he was generating. I looked up at him.

"Hey...I like you." I said. Sasuke chuckled and rolled his eyes.

"I like you too." He returned and I smiled. I rolled over so I was on my back and panted a little. All this sexually frustrated teenager stuff was really wearing me down.

I sat up and got out of the bed. I poked my head outside Sasuke's door and looked out the window. It was about an hour before sunset. I wanted to go for a walk. I just slipped some pants over my shorts and left. I told Sasuke I was going for a walk and he said he was just going to stay home.

I walked around the shopping district and didn't really have a destination in particular. I just kept walking and enjoyed the gentle breeze. I breathed in the air and calmed my nerves. I was thinking about Akio and Kitai as I turned to go into an alley- a short cut the the ninja academy. I thought about what I was going to say to Akio, when I suddenly heard heavy breathing behind me.

"Well, well. This is a dangerous part of town for a young girl, ne?" A sleazy voice asked. I turned around and saw a man with scars on his face.

"Drop dead." I said. Suddenly, my arms were grabbed and my back was slammed into the wall of a building. The man had two friends with him. How did I miss that?

"You should behave when your life is on the line." Another scumbag to my left said.

"But by the time we're done with you, you'll wish we'd killed you." The one to my right said.

"Now, now boys." The main leader said. "I picked her out. I get first dibs."

"In hell!" I said when the leader was close to me. I slammed my forehead into his nose and he fell back.

"Insolent girl!" The one to my left said and punched me in the face while still pinning my arms. I spat out blood and the leader stood up again with a bloody nose.

"You okay, boss?" The one to my right said. The one I struck nodded. He grabbed my shirt and tore it by ripping it off my body. I was left wearing only a bra in a three against one attack. I wasn't going to win.

"Get off of me!" I screamed. "Help!" The bloody one covered my sore mouth with a dirty hand.

"I love it when they scream." He said. "But this one needs something to quiet her up, ne, boys?" He said and I grew a terrified expression. "On her knees!" The leader called and each man kicked the back of my knees so I was kneeling. I shut my eyes tight, but tears managed to seep through.

"Not so tough now, are you, bitch?" The one on my left said.

"SOMEONE HELP ME PLEASE!" I shrieked.

"Open up!" The leader commanded after I heard a zip.

I was so scared, but the man to my right was ripped off of me, releasing my right arm and I punched the man in front of me. He fell back, but the man who struck me earlier grabbed my arm and threw me against the wall. Before I could even scream, he too was ripped off of me.

"C'mon!" A familiar voice said. He grabbed my hand and we started running. We eventually made it to a deserted area- the back alley of a store that even I didn't know was there. "Ayame-chan, are you alright?" I looked at the person who saved me as he stepped into the light.

"Kiba-kun!" I cried and threw my arms around his neck. "Thank you so much for saving me!" I held on tightly to him and he hugged me back.

"You're lucky a heard you screaming or else..." He didn't finished as he spoke to me and I didn't let go of him.

"You saved my life." I whispered gratefully. Kiba laughed.

"Yeah, what's up with that lately?" He asked. I released him and shivered. Kiba looked at me and blushed. I looked down at myself and remembered I didn't have a shirt. "Here." Kiba took off his jacket and wrapped it around my shoulders. I stumbled as he did this and my face was mere inches from his.

"Thank you." I said, breathless.

"Anytime." He whispered. We stared into each other's eyes.

"I...I should get back to Sasuke-kun." I said. Kiba looked a bit saddened, but he nodded.

"Right. Let me walk you." He offered and I nodded.

We walked in silence as I wore Kiba's jacket. I can't believe I almost kissed him! Some girlfriend I was! I mean, it would be justified, right? Kiba saved my life, it would be the least I could do. I shook my head at the thought. It was ridiculous. Cheating was cheating, no matter how you spelled it.

When we arrived at Sasuke's flat I opened the door and saw Sasuke looking out the window. He turned around, took one look at my bloody lip and dashed over to me.

"What happened to you!?" He asked urgently.

"She was attacked." Kiba answered for me. "Three guys jumped her in an alley. Good thing I was there to help her." I sniffled and Sasuke wiped a silent tear away from my cheek.

"Thank you, Kiba." He said. "Thank you for saving her."

"Anytime." He said. "She needs a new shirt. Would ya' grab one for her?" Sasuke nodded and went off into the bedroom. I took off Kiba's jacket and handed it to him.

"I can't thank you enough." I said. Kiba smirked.

"I know a way." He said. He walked up to me and pressed his lips against mine before I could stop him. I stepped back just as Sasuke walked in the room. "I'll be headed home, now. Keep your eyes on her, Uchiha."

"Later, Inuzuka." Kiba walked away, but winked at me when Sasuke wasn't looking. I closed the door behind him. "Here's your shirt." Sasuke said.

"Th-Thanks." I said. I put on the purple shirt he handed me. Sasuke examined my lip and I yelped.

"Sorry!" Sasuke exclaimed.

"I'm just going to wash it up and go to bed." I said. I walked past him and into the bathroom.

I swished water in my mouth as I thought. Kiba. He kissed me. That asshole! What gave him the right to- well, he saved my life. And I'm not going to deny that I liked it, but... No! I'm with Sasuke and... I hate everything. I groaned after I spit pink water into the sink. I slipped off my pants to reveal the shorts I wore underneath. I crawled into bed and curled up to Sasuke as I quickly drifted off to sleep.


	23. Chapter 23

I woke up and my lip was throbbing. I buried my face into Sasuke's chest and sobbed once. I realized that I cried myself to sleep last night. I was almost...I almost got raped by three men at the same time. But Kiba saved me and kissed me right in my boyfriend's house. I gently sobbed again at the surrealism of my life.

"Shh." Sasuke soothed me and stroked my back. "It's alright. I've got you." My body shook as I clung to him. I couldn't think of any words to say. I was so sad at that moment. And confused and hurt.

I sat up and rubbed my eyes. I gently felt my lip and it was swollen. How was I going to explain this to Kakashi? I was supposed to meet up with him at Akio's jail cell for observation today. I sniffled and walked to the bathroom. I gasped when I saw the bruise that the bad man left. But then I was grateful that was the only one. I shuddered at the though of what they would have done to me if Kiba hadn't showed up when he did.

"Ayame-chan?" Sasuke called to me. I turned my head and looked at him. "Are you okay?" I nodded at his question. I couldn't speak at the moment.

I felt sick to my stomach. I felt like I could throw up. I ignored the urge, though. I washed my face and brushed my hair. I decided to leave it down for the day. Not that it really mattered anymore. I looked at my red eyes, sore from crying, and sighed. I clenched my fist as I looked for something to wear.

I just decided on wearing the pants I wore last night and the shirt I was already wearing. I took off my shorts, not really caring if Sasuke was in the room, and slipped the pants on. I sat on the edge of Sasuke's bed with my elbows on my thighs and my head in my hands.

The bed shuffled when Sasuke got out of it. He knelt in front of me and held my face in his hands. He looked at me with kind eyes and I sniffled.

"Stop crying. Please." Sasuke said. I didn't even notice I was crying until he wiped my tears away. I used the bottom of my shirt to dab the rest away.

"Sorry." I whispered and smiled weakly. Sasuke smiled at my efforts.

"That's my girl." He whispered back at me. He brought his lips to mine and gently kissed me. I kissed back until he let go. "I'm going to get ready. You should feed Kage." He suggested and I nodded. He pecked my cheek and went off to change.

I went into the kitchen and got a bowl of food for Kage out. I didn't know where he was at first, but when he heard me, he came running. He picked up on my depressed emotion and licked my toes. I giggled softly and Kage went off to eat breakfast. I sighed. I would get over it eventually.

There was a knock on the door. I went up to it and opened it up. Of course it was Kiba. I was stupid to think otherwise.

"Kiba-kun, what are you doing here?" I hissed as I stepped outside and closed the door. Kiba raised an eyebrow.

"I came to collect my compensation." He said. He picked my my chin and kissed me for the second time. His lips were soft and warm, and comforting, but I pulled away.

"Stop it." I said. "I have a boyfriend." Kiba laughed softly.

"Uchiha? I know I've teased, but really?" Kiba questioned me and I balled a fist. "I've fought for you twice and saved your life. How many times has Sasuke done that for you?" He whispered to me. I thought about it.

"During our first mission he saved me a lot." I pointed out. Kiba rolled his eyes as he stepped closer. I backed up against the wall.

"You should know that I like you." Kiba whispered. "I always have at least a little. Why do you think I tease you so much?" Kiba put his hands on either side of my head.

"Kiba-kun stop." I said, even though I was secretly liking it. "Please. I'm with Sas-" He interrupted me by slapping his lips onto mine.

I let out a muffled cry. Kiba pinned my arms above my head when I tried to push him off. He attacked my lips and as much as I hate to admit it, I was enjoying it. I kneed him in the gut and he doubled over. I opened Sasuke's door and stepped inside, panting. Just what the hell was happening? Sasuke came into the room and I faked a cough to cover up my panting.

I did like Kiba- he was my friend. I didn't Sasuke to hurt him over me. That's stupid. Kiba would let it go sooner or later, so what's the harm in letting him come to his senses instead of telling Sasuke what's happening? I just didn't want anybody to get hurt.

"Are you alright?" Sasuke asked. I nodded and stopped coughing.

"Yeah. I'm good." I said. "We should head over to where Akio is." I said. Sasuke nodded. I carefully opened the door, checking to see if Kiba was still there. He wasn't and I almost sighed in relief.

Sasuke and I walked in silence as we made our way to a minimum security jailhouse. That was where Akio was being held. The purpose of the while thing was really to check up on him and devise an interrogation strategy. We entered the jailhouse lobby and told the guard that Kakashi was waiting for us. He checked our I.D.s and let us pass.

"Suge-kun?" I asked. A guard who was manning some of the cells had the beautiful hazel eyes I could never forget. He was the guard who found me when I first arrived in Konoha. He smiled at me.

"Ayame-chan! Long time, no see! Wow, you've grown into a beautiful young lady." Suge complimented and I blushed.

"Thank you. So, you got promoted?" I asked and he nodded. "Good for you! How's the family? How are the kids?" Suge laughed at my maturity.

"They're doing great. I can't believe you remember them."

"I try. Listen, I'd love to chat, but my sensei is waiting. We'll catch up later, Suge-kun." I said and he nodded. I waved goodbye as Sasuke and I walked off into the back of the jailhouse.

"WHERE AM I!? HOW THE HELL DID I GET HERE!?" A familiar angry voice screamed. Sasuke and I ran in the direction it was coming from. It led to a private cell that was confined from the other inmates. "YOU! YOU BROUGHT ME HERE! WHERE THE HELL AM I!?" It was Akio flipping out of course.

"Thank Kami you're here." Kakashi groaned. "The paralysis toxin wore off the mental state. But don't worry, he still can't move." I nodded. There was a solid wall with a one way mirror and a- currently open- door leading into the room.

"I'm going in there." I said. Sasuke put a hand on my shoulder and I took a deep breath.

"You aren't proving anything by going in there alone, Ayame." Kakashi informed me. I chuckled darkly.

"Not to you, anyway." I said and walked into Akio's room. I closed the door behind me and I released a breath. This is it.

"Why didn't you kill me when you had the chance!?" Akio shouted at me. I said nothing as I merely looked at his restrained and paralyzed body. I just watched him. "Stupid girl! Monster! BEAST!" I didn't get angry. I was patient. I rolled up my short sleeve to were my curse mark was visible.

"Look." I said. I walked up to him and he groaned in disgust and turned his head so he didn't have to see me.

"Stay away from-"

"Look at me!" I commanded. Akio turned his head and glared at me. "You see this? What makes you think I ever asked for this? Like I had a CHOICE, right!?" I asked. I let my sleeve fall again. "Our father...he was arrogant. A fool. He wanted something that mother didn't, isn't that right!?"

"You don't know anything! You're the fool, idiotic girl!" Akio shouted back at me. My arms were trembling from how hard I was clenching my fists. I breathed deeply.

"No? Then correct me. What did father tell you?"

"Hm. What makes to think I'll tell you anything?" Akio asked. I got in his face.

"My patience is already thin- you don't want to test me!" I yelled and backed away. I sat in an available chair and waited for him to speak.

He didn't talk and I didn't either. I stared at him for what seemed like hours. There was a know on the glass and I snapped my head in that direction. I stood up in a haste, knocking the chair over. I walked out of the room and slammed the door behind me. I punched the wall next to me, leaving a dent.

"Asshole!" I said, frustrated. I panted in anger and shut my eyes tight. "Why did I have to leave?" I asked, eyes still closed.

"You were losing control of the situation." Kakashi said bluntly. I snapped my head head in his direction and gave him a hard stare.

"I wasn't." I said. "I had it under control. I was plotting my next move. Let me back in there. Please." Kakashi sighed at my request.

"Fine. You get two hours." He warned. "Then we'll pick it back up tomorrow. Understood?"

"Hai, sensei." I said and went back in Akio's room. I realized that I didn't acknowledge Sasuke and cringed.

"What happened to your lip?" Akio asked to my surprise.

"I got into an altercation." I said. Akio eyed me over.

"Did you win?" He asked. I chuckled.

"Not really." I admitted. "I was horribly outnumbered and my friend rescued me." Akio nodded. This was progress. "Can I ask if you know Zabuza Momochi?" I asked and Akio just looked at me.

"Yes. I did." He said. I walked over to my chair an picked it up. I set it in front of Akio and allowed him to speak. "Before he went off the reservation, he taught me some ninjutsu." He confessed and I nodded. "I liked him. He was a skilled ninja."

"That he was." I agreed. Akio raised an eyebrow. "My team and I...we had to face him during a mission. He mentioned you. I believe he was fond of your skill." I wasn't lying. Why would Zabuza bother remembering Akio unless he was impressive?

"Oh." Akio said. "What's your team like?" He asked. I smiled.

"Kakashi...he's my sensei. He's a good guy- very skilled and patient and admirable. I strive to be like him." I said. "My partners are also very skilled. I entrust my life to them on a daily basis." Akio sighed.

"What...what was father like?" I asked quietly, but he still heard me.

"Strong. Brave. Noble." Akio said with a tone I couldn't determine. "But stupid at times. He would make a bad call and blame the people around him." I sighed.

"Really, now?" I looked into Akio's eyes and he understood what I was saying. He turned away from me.

"Do you have a boyfriend?" He asked and I blushed.

"I, uh-"

"What's his name?" Akio asked with amusement in his eyes. I pouted.

"Like you need to know, Onii-san." I said. I mentally gasped at what I called him, but he didn't seem to mind.

"Come on, Onee-chan." He said and I smiled.

"His name...is Sasuke." I said. "He's...I like him. A lot." I giggled. "How old are you?"

"I am eighteen." He said strenuously. Like he had forgotten. "I'm going to be nineteen in a few months. What about you? Fourteen?"

"In a few months, yeah." I rubbed the back of my head. "Still thirteen. Have you ever..." I stopped asking my question and got quiet.

"What?"

"Nothing."

"Come on. You can ask." Akio insisted. I pulled my knees to my chest while still sitting in my chair. I took a deep breath.

"Have you ever...k-killed anyone?" I asked, suddenly nervous. I don't know if I wanted to know the answer. "You don't have to-"

"No." Akio mumbled. "I've never killed anyone. You...were supposed to be my first."

The silence hung in the air. I couldn't breathe. I felt like I was suffocating under the pressure of his words. He was opening up. Did he still want to kill me? I looked up at him, but he wasn't looking at me. I cleared my throat and he turned his head in my direction.

"Do you still want to kill me?" I asked in a whisper. Akio just stared at me. My palms and forehead were damp with sweat.

"I'm not sure." He answered. "I'm still trying to figure out if you're lying to me." He said. I nodded. Sweat beaded down the side of my face. "What happened?" Akio asked after silence passed.

"When?" I asked. Akio looked pained.

"The night we were orphaned." Akio's voice was hardly a whisper. I drew in a shaky breath.

"Well, father-"

"Haruko." Akio interrupted. "His name was Haruko." I nodded.

"Right, sorry." I said. "Haruko came to the house that Kitai and I were staying in at the time. He went on about saying that he was going to take me out and Kitai tried to stop him. From what I remember, Haruko cut her throat open and she bled out. But, prior to that, Kitai stabbed him with a knife. What happens after that? I don't know. I was told to run away."

I didn't realize that I was crying until a drop of salty water dripped onto my knee. I dabbed my eyes dry and looked up at Akio. He was looking at a random point in the wall next to him. I couldn't imagine what was going through his head.

"I...I believe you." Akio said after a long time. "Haruko was always devious and manipulative. I hate to admit that your story doesn't surprise me. I just regret believing him. Believing his lies."

"Lies about what exactly?" I asked and Akio looked at me thoughtfully.

"You."


	24. Chapter 24

My eyes lit up. Akio actually...He believes me! I'm not sure if he trusts me or if he still wants to kill me, but this is definitely a start. I mean, he's just a kid- like me. He's not sure what he wants yet. And I think he finally realizes what an ass Haruko was and sees that I'm still his baby sister.

"I...I'm-" I couldn't form any words. I just couldn't think of anything else to add!

"Yeah?" Akio pressed. I cleared my throat and shifted my weight.

"I'm just glad you feel that way." I chuckled awkwardly. Akio smiled genuinely. There was a knock on the glass. "I'll be right back." Akio nodded and I turned to open the door. I stepped out of the room with a grin slapped on my face. "Oh my Kami! Did you see that? We're making such good- Sasuke-kun why is your Sharingan activated?" I asked when I saw that his eyes were red.

"I'm trying to see if he's lying." Sasuke said, still staring at my brother. I put my hands on my hips.

"And? Was he?" I asked impatiently. Sasuke sighed and looked at me with those red Sharingans of his.

"Not that I could detect." He said and I nodded.

"That's what I thought, babe." I didn't mean to call him that. It slipped out and I was just trying to be sassy. Sasuke raised an eyebrow at me.

"I was just trying to protect you, Ayame-chan." He said and leaned against the glass. I ran my fingers through my hair.

"I know. Sorry. I don't know what came over me." I sighed truthfully. "Anyway, is my time up, Kakashi-sensei?" I asked the silent man in the corner of the room.

"Unfortunately for you." He yawned and I sighed.

"Alright, I'll just say goodbye then." I said. I opened up the door and was shocked to find Akio rolling his shoulders. "How are you moving right now? You should be paralyzed." I said and he shrugged.

"The power of youth, maybe?" He joked. "Probably just wore off because I have a fast metabolism. Do you have to leave?" He asked and I nodded. He looked disappointed.

"I'll come back tomorrow." I promised. "Don't worry. And I'll bring some- you like ramen, ne?" Akio gasped.

"Is that a legitimate question?" He asked. "I love ramen." I smiled brightly.

"Then you'll like my adopted brother, Naruto, a lot." I chuckled. "But like I was saying, I'll be sure to bring you some tomorrow, okay?" He nodded and I smiled. I turned to open that door, but stopped.

"Hm? What's wrong, Onee-chan?" He asked in a seemingly genuine worried tone. I smiled and face him again. I walked over to Akio and gave him a kiss on the forehead. He blushed and I waved goodbye.

"Well, that wasn't dangerous at all." Kakashi sighed. I shrugged.

"I figured if he was going to attempt something, Sasuke-kun would have busted into the room to stop him." I said. "Plus, I didn't pick that vibe up from him. You know, I ought to have some sort of skill on that since I'm a demoted Jinjuriki."

"Ayame." Kakashi warned me. I blinked at what I said. It made sense after all. "We don't talk about this here." I nodded.

"Hai. Sorry." I muttered.

I started to walk out of the room and down the hallway with a row of cells on either side. The men were all cat-calling and I rolled my eyes in disgust. Sasuke appeared next to me and held my hand, interlocking our fingers. I smirked as the men stopped their harassment when they looked at Sasuke's eyes. I thought they were kind of hot, but that's just me.

Kakashi trailed behind us as we left. He made sure to book us in for visitation for the next day. I sighed in relief as the guards made note of this appointment. Suge wasn't there to converse with anymore. I assumed his shift had ended, but I was disappointed that I didn't get to say goodbye.

"So...now what?" I asked the two people next to me and they both shrugged. "Helpful." I muttered.

"We could just go home." Sasuke whispered seductively into my ear. I giggled, but shook my head.

"I want to do a little combat training, actually." I said. I was feeling aggressive for some reason. "I have some energy that should be dispelled." Sasuke smirked and whispered to me again.

"I know another way to get rid of that energy." I playfully shoved him. What a horn dog I picked up.

"Quiet you." I said, putting a finger over his lips to silence him. "So, what do you think, Kakashi-sensei?" He sighed.

"You two could do an informal training session if you wish." My sensei offered. "I just didn't have one planned. It's be rude to tell Sakura and Naruto to come out now."

"Right. So, Sasuke-kun and I will just be on our own then." I said and Kakashi nodded. "Oh well. Looks like you're stuck with me, babe." I smirked and Sasuke returned one as he wrapped his arm around my waist. Kakashi muttered something as he walked off, but I wasn't paying attention.

"We aren't really going to train, are we?" Sasuke whined as we neared the field. I laughed at him.

"I guess we don't have to." I said exasperatedly. "But what on Earth would we do in this spare time?" I asked in fake wonder. Sasuke gently pushed me against a tree and leaned into me.

"Why must you taunt me?" He asked. He trued to kiss me, but I turned my head and he kissed my cheek.

"I don't know what you're talking about."

Sasuke and I were so far within the woods, we were secluded from everyone else and all the buildings were out of our sight. Sasuke groaned as I teased him with my body language. I gently laid a hand on his cheek and looked at his flawless, pale face. Sasuke leaned into me again and I didn't have the restraint to turn away this time.

He grunted as I viciously attacked his lips. It hurt a bit on account of my busted and sore lip, but the compensation was completely worth it. I moaned as he used his hands to caress my body. He leaned in deeper until I was grinding into him hard, making him moan between gasps.

I ran my fingers through his hair as we kissed aggressively. I didn't know who was winning in this battle of lust, but I'm pretty sure it was Sasuke. My shoulder suddenly started burning. I cried out in pain and pulled away from Sasuke, panting and clutching my curse mark. I fell into Sasuke's arms, groaning.

"Ayame-chan, what's wrong?" Sasuke asked. He sank to his knees as he held me in his arms. I trembled as I held onto my shoulder. "It's that damned mark, isn't it?" He asked angrily.

"I-Itai." I muttered. "It h-hurts." I panted violently.

Sasuke removed my hand and examined my throbbing mark. I squeezed my eyes shut just before I felt softness on my mark. The pain began to subside. I looked at Sasuke who was kissing the pain away. I gained a pink tint in my cheeks as he pulled away and looked me in the eyes.

"Where have you been all my life?" I breathed. Sasuke smiled and kissed my forehead before he helped me to my feet. "How did you know that would work?" I asked. Sasuke held my waist as we walked home.

"I just...Lucky guess, I suppose." He said suspiciously. I raised an eyebrow.

"Just because I don't have a Sharingan doesn't mean to can keep secrets from me." I pointed out. "I'm the one person you can't get away with lying to." Sasuke chuckled.

"It'd be foolish to use the word 'soulmate', wouldn't you agree?" Sasuke asked and I cleared my throat. That's exactly the word I would use to describe him, but I wasn't sure if he'd think of me as a fool. I just kept quiet as we approached his home.

"Ayame-chan!" I heard a girl's voice call. I turned around and saw a blonde Ino and pink haired Sakura coming my way. "We've been looking everywhere for you!"

"Sasuke-kun, do you mind if we steal her away for a minute?" Sakura asked, cheeky as ever. I shrugged and Sasuke nodded before walking off.

"What's up, guys?" I asked. I followed their gazes and they were watching Sasuke. They only spoke when he was out of their sight.

"Alright, listen up." Ino almost growled. "Sasuke-kun is mine. Do you hear me?" I blinked.

"Cha! He's _mine_ Ino, get over yourself!" Sakura scoffed. They started glaring at each other and that's when I nonchalantly started to walk away.

"GET BACK HERE!" Both girls screamed in unison. I sighed and walked back to them.

"You don't even like him, why are you spending all this time with my future husband?" Sakura asked and I laughed louder than I should have.

"What's so funny?" Ino growled. I got into a running stance.

"Your _future husband_ happens to be my _present boyfriend_." I said and sprinted off in the opposite direction.

I heard the girls howl and scream in shock and disgust, but I just kept laughing at them. I'm sure they won't stay mad forever. I wonder if they even believed me. I shrugged at my own thoughts as I slowed my pace to a stroll. I looked up at the sky and stared at the clouds.

"Whoa." They looked beautiful. I decided to get a better view and lay down on a random rooftop, so I did. I scaled a building quickly and just got comfortable when a voice called me.

"Ayame-chan?" It asked I turned and saw Shikamaru laying down, too. "What're you doing up here?" I smiled and strolled over to him.

"Just wanted a place where I could think and look at the clouds." I shrugged.

"Well, you found the perfect place for that." He sighed. I laid down next to him and we sat in silence.

"Shikamaru-kun?" I asked, twiddling my thumbs. "Could I ask for some...advice?"

"If you asked for money, I would have said no, but since it's advice, I'm all ears." He joked and I chuckled softly.

"Well, um, there's this guy..."

"Mhm?"

"And we're kind of...going out."

"Yeah?"

"But then there's this _other_ guy."

"Alright?"

"And he kissed me when it was already established that I was with the first guy." I briefly explained.

"So, are you asking how to tell Sasuke about it?" Shikamaru asked bluntly. Of course he knew, it was obvious. That, plus the fact he was smarter than he looked, I shouldn't have been surprised.

"No. The other guy...he expects me to do more. I don't want to hurt him because I value our friendship, but if Sasuke-kun finds out-"

"He's a deadman." Shikamaru sighed. "I see your issue. I could talk to the other guy if you want." He offered. I turned to my side so I could face him.

"I'm thinking it's be best if I did it myself." I said and Shikamaru nodded, but kept his eyes on the clouds.

"Tell him exactly what you told me." He said. "Tell him you value the friendship and if he gets caught, Sasuke will go homicidal and murder him." I sighed and rolled on my back again.

"Thanks, man."

"Was it Kiba?"

"I'm not saying."

"It was Kiba."

"I know, Shikamaru-kun." I groaned. "I'm just gonna go. I'll see you later, mate."

"Good luck." Shikamaru waved me goodbye and I started off for Sasuke's house.


	25. Chapter 25

I ran back to Sasuke's house. I thought it'd be risky to try the front door, so I just slithered up the drainpipe and crawled into the open window. Sasuke rushed out of his room when he heard my thuds with shuriken in his hand.

"Ah, don't shoot!" I said, holding up my hands. "It's me. I was afraid of your fans being at your front door, so...window." Sasuke relaxed his muscles a little, but there was something troubling him. I could feel it in the atmosphere.

"I'm glad you're home." Sasuke said and went back into the bedroom. I tilted my head and followed him.

"Hey." I said, turning Sasuke around. I wrapped my arms around his neck and looked into his dark eyes. "What's wrong? Why are you so tense? You were so happy before I left. What happened?" Sasuke held my waist and sighed.

"I just worry about you." Sasuke said. He lifted his hand and tucked some hair behind my ear.

"Meaning?" I asked, raising an eyebrow. Sasuke groaned quietly.

"Meaning...last night. How you got that." He said and pointed at my lip. "Guys can't control themselves around you and I can't keep my word to you about keeping you safe." I sighed and connected my forehead to his.

"I can handle myself." I whispered. "Last night...I was just caught off guard. It's not going to happen again."

"It better not." He said. "Or there will be a body count in Konoha." He swore.

"Hey...I like you." I reminded him. He laughed and pulled me in for a kiss.

I smiled throughout the kiss. Sasuke grabbed my thighs and pulled them up so I could wrap my legs around his waist. He carried me to the bed and sat on it while I ground my hips into his, feeling his body heat increase. I blushed as we kissed.

He moaned at my movements and I played with his tongue. I went to get a breath and Sasuke started to suck on my bottom lip, being sure to miss the bruised part. I moaned and he lightly bit me. I pulled away from him and smirked.

"Have I told you how hot you are?" I asked him, running my fingers through his hair. "If I haven't, you...are really hot." I chuckled and he smiled at me.

"I try." He smirked. I rolled my eyes and we started kissing again.

He laid back and I was on top of his chest, the way I like it. We explored each other's mouths and Sasuke ground into me as I did for him. I moaned for him and he chuckled. He was so amused at how easily he could get a reaction out of me.

"S-Stop being mean." I pouted when I came up for air. Sasuke smirked and rolled over so he was on top. He pinned my arms above my head and just watched me. He held both of my arms down with one hand and used the free one to gently caress my cheek.

"I like you." Sasuke said. I rolled my eyes as he smacked his mouth onto mine.

I whimpered as he hit my bruise, but it wasn't like I could do anything to stop him. He stuck his tongue in my mouth and I sucked on it like I did before. I generated a moan out of Sasuke and I smirked. I started to taste iron when I realized my lip was bleeding. Sasuke noticed too and lifted his head up. He had my blood on his lips.

"I-I'm so sorry!" He said as he basically jumped off of me. "Why can't I do anything right with you?" I sat up and touched my lip. It was tender and throbbing.

"It was an accident." I said. I didn't blame him in the slightest. "It's okay, really." Sasuke scoffed.

"You can't be so forgiving all the time." He muttered. I cocked an eyebrow.

"Excuse me?" I asked and he groaned as he went to the bathroom to wash my blood off his face. I followed after him- I needed to wash my mouth, too. When Sasuke turned around, his back to the sink, I stared at him.

"Hey." He said after a time. "You're still bleeding." I touched my lip and winced slightly.

"Alright." I said. He walked away as I swished water in my mouth. After a time of this, I spit out the pink water. I grabbed some toilet paper and dabbed the exterior of my lip dry of blood. When I was presentable again, I stepped out of the bathroom.

I groaned and picked up my pajamas from the floor. I stripped out of my clothes and put those on quickly. It was too early to actually go to bed, but I could have really used the sleep. I was emotionally exhausted, so I just slipped under the covers of Sasuke's bed. Sasuke pulled his shirt off and climbed in next to me. I curled up into his chest and Kage- who disappears randomly- leapt up on the bed and curled up at my feet.

"Night, Sasuke-kun." I said, closing my eyes. "Night, Kage-kun." Sasuke laughed weakly. I guess he was equally tired.

"Night." He kissed the top of my head and we drifted off to sleep.

...

I awoke in a daze. I could hardly remember where I was. It felt like my body was made of lead. I blinked until my vision became less hazy. I groaned and struggled to lift myself up and sit on the bed. I looked around me and saw I was alone. I didn't like the feeling. I stood up, wrapping Sasuke's blanket around my shoulders, and slowly walked out of the bedroom.

No one was in the living room either! What was going on? I started to panic in the slightest because Sasuke wouldn't just leave, would he? He's left before in the middle of the night, sure, but he came back.

"S-Sasuke-kun?" I asked in a whisper. "A-Are you home?" I tightened my grip on the blanket that cascaded around my shoulders. "Hello?"

"Ayame-chan?" It was Sasuke's voice, but I didn't know where he was.

I looked around the room frantically- turning around until I tripped on the blanket that snaked itself around my ankles. I fell to the ground with a weak grunt. I kicked the blanket off of me and turned around to see Sasuke standing before me. I threw my arms around his neck and he held me.

"It's fine, I'm here." He whispered and soothed me. I sobbed once gently and tightened my grip. "Shh, it's alright. Do you still want to visit Akio today?" I had almost forgotten. I pulled myself off of Sasuke and nodded.

"Yeah. I p-promised." My voice was shaky, so I cleared my throat. "I think I'll be okay." I said half-heartedly. Sasuke picked up my chin and held my gaze.

"Kami, you're beautiful." He said with a smile. I giggled softly and blushed. He kissed my forehead then held my hand as he walked me into the bedroom. "Go on and take a shower. I'll go pick up the ramen you promised for Akio."

"Alright, Sasuke-kun." I sighed. He picked up my chin and gently kissed me. When he pulled back, he looked into my eyes and smiled. I couldn't help but smile back at him. He was important to me, after all.

"I'll be back soon, okay?" He said and I nodded. He left and I went to take my shower.

I stood with the hot water on me for Kami knows how long. It just felt so relaxing and I had to ease my tense muscles. Throughout the night, I subconsciously came to the conclusion that I am terrified. Terrified that I can't do my job as a shinobi. Horrified that I can't even protect myself from everyday scum. And mortified that I've become so weak. I yelled quietly as I punched the wall of the bathroom after stepping out of the shower. I was so frustrated, but I needed to remember how to control my emotions like I used to.

Knowing that no one was home, I stepped out of the bathroom in only the towel I used to dry myself off with. I remembered that I had to feed Kage, so that's what I was doing. I scampered into the kitchen and thought happy things. I got out a bowl of food for my dog, but he didn't come. I looked around Sasuke's flat until I saw Kage leap through his open window. Where did he- How did he- What?

"What other talents do you have, boy?" I asked, scratching his ear and he yipped. He jumped up, placing his paws on my shoulders, and licked my face I giggled and gently pushed him off. "You're silly. Eat your food." He did as commanded and I went into the bedroom.

I grabbed a set of clothes, quickly put them on and began a hasty towel drying session on my hair. After that, I started to brush my hair on Sasuke's couch. Kage sat on my lap as Sasuke walked in. He grinned widely as he set down the paper bag he was carrying.

"Hey, what happened to your lip?" He asked. "It's all healed!" I touched my lip and it was no longer sore. What happened? I looked at the dog on my lap.

"I think I figured out what kind of ninja hound Kage-kun is." I smiled. "He's a medic nin inu. A medical ninja dog. You're cool, Kage-kun. Wanna meet my Onii-san?" He yipped in response. "Well, there we go. Let's go now."

Sasuke nodded and we headed out, being sure to take the ramen I promised. We made small talk on the way to the jailhouse and it was pleasant. I looked up and noticed the clouds were grey. I sighed, knowing it was going to rain. We approached the lobby of the jailhouse and walked right in because the guards were expecting us anyway. I walked to where I knew Akio was and where Kakashi should be, but the latter wasn't there. Akio was sitting in the room with closed eyes, but I knew he was awake.

"We should wait for Kakashi." Sasuke said. I shook my head.

"I'll be fine." I said, looking at my confined brother. "Plus, I'll bet he's starving. Come, Kage-kun." I said, gripping the paper bag. I opened the door and slowly entered the room, while Kage went right head.

"Onee-chan." Akio smiled at me. "You came back." I chuckled.

"I said I would, didn't I?" I reminded him. "I also brought ramen and my dog, Kage-kun. It's chicken flavored. The ramen, not my dog." Akio laughed and adjusted himself in his chair. His hands were bound, but he could still eat food.

"Thank you so much." He said and I handed him his ramen. Our fingers brushed against each other and I smiled.

"Sure thing." I said. I sat in the chair I used last time and open up my ramen container. I sighed as I captured some noodles with my chopsticks.

"So, Onee-chan..." Akio said, taking a brief break from his ramen. "When will I meet this boyfriend of yours?" I actually started choking.

"I-what!?" I squeaked. Akio smirked.

"I have to warn the bastard about breaking my baby sister's heart, right?" Akio said, sipping his broth. "Isn't that was good big brothers do?" Ah, my heart. He accepts me as his next of kin! Ah! This is great! I could tell he wasn't lying or being sarcastic or deceiving me, so I was overjoyed.

"Hey, I like that bastard!" I laughed. "Anyway, I'm not going to make him walk in here, but if he wants to, he can and will." I said, not actually expecting Sasuke to bust in.

"Sasuke's the name, right?" Akio asked and I nodded. "Right. I'll have to remember that." I snickered.

"What? Do you have a girlfriend, Onii-san?" I asked, pointing my chopsticks at him. "Any girl's kneecaps I need to be busting over harassing my big brother?" Akio laughed loudly.

"No way, Ayame, I'm a nomad." He said. "I usually don't stay in one place long enough to gain any relationships." I slurped up my noddles, thinking about what that meant.

"So, will you not stay here?" I asked, tilting my head. Akio shrugged.

"I haven't decided yet." He sighed. "I might, seeing as you're the only family I have and..."

"And?" I pressed. Akio looked me dead in the eyes.

"I need you." He said. "I need you to remind me that i have a home. A place I can go and...and be welcomed. Be needed. Be loved. I haven't had that in so long- I forget what it even feels like." I looked at him with concerned eyes and he dropped his gaze, staring into his food. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to-"

"It's fine." I said, smiling. "Really, you're going to have to make up for not being there for me, man." I laughed and he smiled. He knew I wasn't really angry with him and I finally understood him. Thunder boomed and I heard the raindrops pound on the roof. I sighed relaxingly.

"You want to know why you like the rain so much?" Akio asked with a mouthful of noodles. I shrugged. "Because you were born on the outskirts of Ame." I chewed with a raised eyebrow.

"Amegakure?" I asked incredulously. "The Village Hidden in the Rain? You're kidding." Akio raised his hand in mock defense.

"Don't believe me if you must, but you and me and mother and Haruko- we're all Ame babies." He said and I blinked. Amegakure? I'm pretty sure that place is supposed to be vicious. I don't mean sassy Hama vicious, I mean take-my-bread-and-I-will-cut-your-arm-off vicious. I gulped. "HM? What's the matter, Onee-chan? What, you're not upset that you're from the Village With Bloody Hands are you? Ah, that's not the legitimate name, but still."

"H-How long were you a nomad for?" I asked, changing the subject. Akio cleared his throat and sat back in his chair.

"Well, when Haruko died, I ran away." He said and sat his ramen on the floor. "Went from village to village, learning taijutsu and getting stronger to, well, kill you of course." He laughed at himself. "Man, why did I believe that guy? Don't get me wrong, I loved him- he raised me, but he was no saint. And he wasn't afraid to use force to discipline me either, let me tell you. He was almost always accompanied by a bottle of sake, too. He was an overall bastard."

And Kitai left. She left a little boy in the hands of, what, an ignorant, abusive drunkard? I was so upset at her. My life isn't more important than anyone's, why did she just leave her baby boy to fend for himself with a monster? How could she? It couldn't have been easy. I sighed and continued to eat.


	26. Chapter 26

Sasuke came into the room that Akio and I were in. Akio looked up at him with noodles hanging from his lips. I giggled, set my food on the ground and walked up to him. I gave him and quick hug, which he briefly returned. I faced my brother who was smirking at me. He knew exactly who this raven-haired boy was.

"Onii-san, this is-"

"Sasuke, ne?" Akio interrupted and I pouted, but nodded. "It's a pleasure to meet you." Akio extended his hand and I nudged Sasuke to shake it. He did and I sighed.

"I came in here to tell you something." Sasuke said in a low voice. "If you're just toying with her...if you have another motive to be nice to her and you hurt her, I will end you." Sasuke threatened, releasing his grip on my brother's hand and I gasped.

"Sasuke-kun, this isn't-"

"It's alright, Onee-chan." Akio chuckled. He stood up against his restraints. "I have no intentions on hurting her, _Sasuke_. And if _you _break her heart, I will destroy you. Are we clear?" Sasuke smirked at the man.

"Don't tempt me on ending you sooner- I'd do it anyway." Sasuke dared and I started to get worried. All this testosterone and angst and anger and suspicion is going to hurt someone and, with my luck, it'll be me.

"Oh really? How about we take this outside and settle this now?" Akio beckoned. He and Sasuke held each others' gazes before they chuckled. "Not bad. I think I like you, Sasuke." I let out a breath.

"You guys are such jerks!" I said, punching them both in the arm. "You, out." I said to Sasuke before pulling him by his sleeve. I brought him to the door and punched his chest. "You're such a-"

"Don't be mean because you overreacted." Sasuke pouted.

"At least he likes you." I rolled my eyes.

"I like you." Sasuke smirked. I rolled my eyes and gave him and light peck on the lips before closing the door on his face.

"EW!" Akio choked. "My eyes!" He mimicked vomiting and I laughed.

"Shut up, jerk, you were the one giving _me _a heart attack!" I accused. "I thought my brother and my boyfriend were going to have a duel to the death or something! Don't scare me like that, baka." Akio held up his hands in defeat.

"Alright, alright." He sighed. "So, when will I meet the rest of your friends? Or your sensei, for that matter. He has to be pretty good, right? What was it, uh, Kakashi?" I nodded.

"Good memory." I complimented. "Where the hell did Kage-kun go? Come!" I commanded and the grey dog came out of no where. "You've got to stop disappearing like that, okay?" He yipped in response. "Good boy. Anyway, I still have to clear that with Kakashi-sensei. He's the one that determines whether or not you get out of here. I'd help if I could, but my sensei is...how do I put this?"

"A hard ass?"

"Basically." I laughed. "But seriously, he has a way with reading people, so it's best this way." I shrugged. Akio sighed and looked at the ceiling.

"Can I ask you what it was like?" He asked. Before I could ask what he was talking about, he specified. "What was it like being branded that way? That mark. The thing that's deep inside of you. What's it like?" I saw him shuffled in his restraints and I made a small smile.

"Let's see if we can get those off you, ne?" I offered, motioning to the restraints and he smiled back, nodding. I got up and walked out of the room, closing the door behind me.

I didn't notice that I was sweating until I heard the door click shut. Was I nervous or was I just warm? I wiped my brow with the back of my hand and cleared my throat. I looked around the observation room I was in and saw Kakashi. I sighed and walked over to him.

"Kakashi-sensei, could we-"

"No." He answered before I was done asking.

"Why not?"

"He could still be dangerous." Kakashi sighed and I groaned softly.

"Then that's _my _risk then." I said. "I trust him. That should be enough for now." Kakashi tottered in his stance.

"From what I could see, Akio doesn't seem intent on harming anyone, least of all you." Kakashi said and I smiled. "But, he could always be playing another angle. His interactions with you have gone from bad to good in a decent amount of time, but we might be pushing our luck." I groaned.

"What if I have Sasuke-kun and his Sharingan in there with me?" I asked, motioning to the silent raven in the corner of the room. "You don't have to, but it would-"

"I'll do it." Sasuke said, standing up. "Kakashi, let's just see what happens. If anything happens, we won't come back here. Right, Ayame-chan? You trust your brother with that much of a wager, don't you?" Oh, I see how it is.

"Absolutely." I nodded in monotone. "I'll bring in Suge-kun. Kakashi-sensei?" Kakashi groaned, but nodded anyway.

I went down the hallway and brought Suge back into the room with me. Kakashi briefly explained the situation and Suge wished me luck before going into Akio's cell. He muttered a warning into Akio's ear and unlocked his restraints. I nodded to him as he left the room and he tussled my hair.

Akio stretched his arms out and twisted his back until his spine popped in various places. I looked over at Sasuke who had his Sharingan activated and I sighed. Akio was touching his toes when I looked back at him and he sighed happily.

"Thanks, Onee-chan." He smiled. "Oh, nice eyes, Sasuke. Now, don't help me here, your eyes...Sharingan. Right?" Sasuke nodded.

"Good guess." He said. I nudged him lightly and sat back in my chair, knees cuddled into my chest.

"So, Onii-san." I said. "You wanted to know what it's like to live in the not-so-fabulous life of Ayame, ne?" I asked with a somewhat dark chuckle. "On an almost daily basis, a wannabe kunoichi terrorizes me when she doesn't realize I could snap her arm at any moment, but that's just me complaining." I laughed. Akio tilted his head.

"Need me to cut her or something?" He asked and I gasped.

"What? No! She's mine to cut, plus, you'll never leave if you keep threatening to cut people." I said and he laughed. "But seriously, this little mark hasn't really effected me until recently. I only learned a few days ago what it was. But the power? I always had more chakra than I should, but I never really noticed if I, myself, was stronger."

"So, you're just an average, wolf possessed girl, then." Akio laughed and I rolled my eyes. "How many people know aside from us four?"

"Five. Kage-kun." Speak of the dog and he shall sit on your lap. I scratched his ear as I continued. "Two of my senseis and that's it." I shrugged.

"Mm. Secrets." Akio said with a smile. I returned one. "Sorry I'm a lot more sassy than when we first met. I kinda have multiple personality. Stone cold killer who's never killed anyone and a teasing big brother."

"Ah, I gotcha." I said and giggled. Akio sat back in his chair and sighed deeply.

We started up conversations about multiple topics for the remainder of my visit. We shared stories about occurrences with our companions. Akio laughed when I told the story of Naruto almost drowning in two feet of water. After that tale was over, Kakashi signaled that it was time to go.

"Look, Onii-san, I'll talk to Kakashi-sensei about your confinement, but you have be a good boy while you're here, okay?" I said. He laughed, but nodded. "Hey, I'm serious, man. Be nice."

"Alright, I hear you." Akio said, standing up. "Can I hug my little sister before she leaves?" He asked, extending his arms. I giggled and hugged him back. He was really warm and smelled like grass after it rains. He kissed the top of my head and released me.

"I'll see you later." I waved him off after collecting the trash from the ramen containers. "Kage-kun." I called to him and he skipped next to me. "Bye, Onii-san."

"Later, Onee-chan." Akio waved. Sasuke, Kage and I walked out of the room.

"That was so amazing!" I said as the door shut. "Kakashi-sensei, you saw how much of an improvement that was, right!?" Kakashi sighed.

"You're being naïve." He informed me as we left the observation room. "I do see the improvement, but it's only in this situation. Remember to not let your guard down, Ayame." I nodded.

"Hai, sensei."

"And...maybe he could...be released soon." Kakashi said slowly as we exited the building. I beamed.

"A-Are you serious!? Oh my Kami, thank you so much, Kakashi-sensei!" I reflexively threw my arms around the man, hugging him tightly. Kakashi chuckled softly.

"Alright, alright." He said, patting my head. I was making him uncomfortable. I let him go and chuckled.

"Sorry. I'm just really happy. Will he be released tomorrow?" I asked and Kakashi nodded. "Wow. I can't thank you enough." Kakashi waved in dismissal.

"Don't worry about it." He sighed. "That's my job. Anyway, there are a couple things we need to discuss. Like his living arrangement."

"He can live with me." I said like it was the most obvious answer. "Duh."

"Are you crazy?" Sasuke asked. "Do you know how dangerous that is? He could try to kill you in your sleep." He was speaking in monotone merely because Kakashi was there. He's only got a soft spot for me because I'm special like that.

"That's why you'll stay with me until you can trust him like I do." I said, folding my arms across my chest. "And if you don't want to do it, I'll just live with him alone. Until he gets his own place, that is."

"Damn it, why are you so stubborn?" Sasuke muttered under his breath, but I heard him of course. "It's not an option, I _have_ to stay with you."

"Aw, it's nice to know you care." I rolled my eyes. "What else needs discussion, Kakashi-sensei?"

"You can show him any of your jutsu." He said and I nodded.

"Of course not." I agreed. I assume that's all? Kakashi shrugged.

"For now. Just go home and prep Akio's arrival, I guess." Kakashi said before waving and disappearing. I sighed.

"I should get my stuff out of your place then." I said as we neared Sasuke's flat. "Are you going to pack too? You know since you'll temporarily live with me and all."

Sasuke just shrugged as he opened the door to his home. I walked in and Kage launched himself on the small couch. I chuckled and entered Sasuke's room. I gathered all my clothes that littered the floor and inserted them in my pack. After a few minutes of that, I got Kage's food and also put that in my pack.

I did this in silence as Sasuke packed his own bag of clothes. When he was done, the three of us left without a word. I wasn't exactly in a talking mood to begin with, so I had no problem with this. We slowly made it to my flat. The lack of conversation made the time seem slow.

I opened the door and breathed in the scent of tea and paper. That's exactly what my house smells like. I missed it. I sighed as I walked into my bedroom to unpack my things. I replaced the book I brought on a bookshelf in my room as Sasuke placed his pack on my bed.

"So now what?" He asked. I turned to him and leaned against the wall the was behind me.

"Well, there can't be a chapter without a little steam." I winked. Sasuke raised an eyebrow.

"What does that-"

"Just come here and kiss me." I whispered. Sasuke smiled and compelled to my wishes.

He walked over to me and laid his lips onto mine. I placed my hands on the back of his head and pulled him in deeper. We parted our lips in sync with each other. He pulled away and looked at me while he held me.

"I really like you, Ayame." He said. I noticed he dropped the honorific. I smiled.

"I really like you, too, Sasuke."


	27. Chapter 27

After Sasuke and I kissed some more, I decided that I needed to clean my house. Though he begged me not to, Sasuke eventually caved in and helped me clean anyway. I dusted my shelves and organized my books while Sasuke straightened my couch. I smirked at the fact that the Uchiha is helping me clean.

I cleaned my kitchen and put away dry dishes while Sasuke took a break. Boys aren't designed to clean. We chatted while I worked and when I was done with that, I needed to do my laundry. I offered to wash Sasuke's shirt and he accepted, before stripping himself of his shirt.

I stared, alright? I watched him walk into the bedroom to get a clean shirt to put on. I sighed as I gathered the rest of my dirty clothing and blanket into a clothes' basket. Sasuke walked into the room, fully dressed, and walked me out of my home and to the laundromat.

"So, are we gonna spend the rest of the day cleaning or what?" Sasuke asked, holding my hand as we entered the establishment. I giggled, but calmed my expression when I saw there were other people here.

"Probably not, but I've been meaning to do this for a while." I said in monotone.

Sasuke rolled his eyes slightly, but kept his expressionless face as well. We've come to the silent agreement of not showing our affection around others or I will get mobbed by the girls. We didn't really talk as our clothes were washed. I guess we were thinking about different things.

* * *

**Akio's P.o.V. **

I sat in my empty cell and walked over to a security window- the kind with mesh embedded into the glass so it won't be broken easily. I sighed while shaking my head at myself. How could I have been so blind about everything? About Ayame.

It's true, I did hate her with a passion, but that was before I had met her. I just believed the lies that my father had fed me so easily. But, then again, if my opinions of my own sister were shifted so easily, I supposed that, deep down, I never really wanted to kill her.

Ayame was a sweet girl and I could tell that she was never totally hateful towards me. More like angry or disappointed. She was my baby sister, how could I have ever hated her in the first place?

I sighed and rubbed my forehead. I was sure to be in some legal trouble pretty soon. I leaned against a wall just before my door was opened. I was half expecting Ayame, but a man with white hair and a mask covering his face came in the room instead.

"Akio." His face was familiar, but I couldn't place him. "My name is Kakashi Hatake. I'm Ayame's sensei." I smiled and bowed in respect.

"My little sister is very fond of you, Kakashi-san." He wasn't significantly older than me, but I didn't dare to show a lack of respect.

"Right, well, I simply came here to tell you something." Oh, boy. That's the second time I've heard those words. "I care about my students _and_ my village. If you pose so much as a threat to any of them, I will destroy you, even if Ayame says otherwise. Do I make myself clear?"

"Hai." I nodded. "But, Kakashi-san, I'm truly not planning anything rash. I swear to you, if I hurt Ayame, you can have my head on a silver platter. That is my word to you." I extended my hand to Kakashi. He looked at me with intensity before taking my hand firmly and shaking it.

"Thank you." He said. "So, upon your early release-"

"Wait, what?" I popped in. "I'm being released from custody? Why am I-"

"The Hokage is fond of Ayame." The Hokage? As in Leader of the Leaf? Cool. "Anyway, you will be released tomorrow and Ayame has gracefully offered her home to you. I want it to be clear that inappropriate behavior around her is prohibited." I raised an eyebrow.

"Inappropriate how?" I asked. "Like, getting drunk or hiring a prostitute or something?" Kakashi sighed and nodded.

"More or less, yes." He said. "Just promise me to not do anything too terribly _mature_." He requested and I nodded.

"Hai. Don't worry- I won't hurt her." I promise and Kakashi sighed before turning his back to me.

"Let's hope so." He muttered. "I'll be back with Ayame tomorrow. We have yet to enter your information into the system." He informed me as he exited. "So, bye for now." He said and closed the door before I could say another word.

"Why does the Hokage like my sister?" I asked, knowing I wouldn't get a response. I shrugged and laid down on the floor. I looked up at the white ceiling and sighed. I closed my eyes and let my mind wander. It was early evening, but I felt like I could sleep peacefully for once.

...

I awoke to a loud banging on my door. I bolted upright and jumped to my feet, expecting an attack. I faced the door and saw the masked Kakashi poking his head in my cell. I relaxed my stance and sighed.

"Please don't do that." I said and Kakashi nodded.

"Sorry." He said unenthusiastically. "We're ready to sign you out as soon as we get your fingerprints and photograph on file." I nodded and walked over to him.

"I appreciate this, Kakashi-san." I said meaningfully. Kakashi sighed.

"You can drop the honorific." He offered. "It doesn't really matter what you call me." I nodded in understanding.

Kakashi led me to a room with a camera, white backdrop and some other equipment. I was going to be processed. Great. They took my mug shot and fingerprints and wrote down my overall profile in a book. I wasn't sure if this was for my citizenship or what, but it was just weird.

After they finished processing me, they took me to the lobby where I picked up the pack that Ayame's team must have carried here while I was out of it. It still amazes that Ayame got the drop on me. Anyway, I signed some forms and got a card with my picture and name on it. It must have been an ID card.

"Kakashi, do I belong to the Leaf Village now?" I asked and Kakashi simply nodded as he held the door open for me.

I stepped outside and the warm air hit me. I breathed in the scent. It was the smell of fresh, clean leaves and flowers. It was peaceful and serene here- I could sense it. It felt right being here. Like I belonged here. Like home.

"Onii-san!" I heard and turned to see Ayame running up to me. She jumped into my arms and I caught her while laughing.

"Onee-chan, calm down!" I laughed. I set her down and she beamed at me.

"Sorry! I want you to meet my team!" She grabbed my head and tugged me along. She was strong. Was that the wolf's strength or her own?

She led me to a group of three kids that were her age. One, I identified as Sasuke and I nodded at him. The others were estranged to me. The girl who was standing next to Sasuke had long, pink hair and green eyes. She was wearing a reddish-pinkish kimono. The boy who was standing on the other side of the girl had spiky, blonde hair vibrant blue eyes. He had odd, whisker-like markings on his cheeks and he wore mostly orange.

"Onii-san, this is my team." Ayame said with a smile. "You already know Sasuke-kun and this is Sakura-chan and Naruto-kun. Nautro-kun is like my adopted brother, my best friend."

"It's nice to meet you two." I said, nodding at the two children I just met. The one called Naruto stepped in between me and Ayame.

"Hey, back off!" He said And I blinked. "She was my Onee-san first, bub! Believe it! Lay off!" Ayame put him in a gentle headlock.

"Onii-san, you know I love you, but you'll have to get along with Akio-kun, alright?" Ayame said softly, kissing the blonde boy on the head. Naruto didn't falter as he pouted.

"But Onee-san!"

"No buts, Naruto-kun, now say sorry to Akio-kun." Ayame ordered. Naurto groaned.

"Sorry, Akio." He muttered. Ayame chuckled before releasing him and tusseling his hair.

"So, you were the one who had a blood lust during our last mission, ne?" Sakura spoke up and Ayame's eyes widened. I smirked.

"You've got blood, I'll come running." I winked and Sakura backed up a halfstep. I laughed. "Kidding! Sorry, about frightening you, but I'm better now, so no worries." I smiled and she cautiously returned one.

"So, let's take you home to get settled, ne?" Ayame suggested and I nodded.

The five of us started walking to Ayame's home after Kakashi left. I think he left Sasuke in charge of me because he whispered something to the raven just before he wandered off. We passed where Sakura lived, so she just went home, leaving the remaining four to our conversations.

We reached Ayame's flat and Naruto, who apparently lived across the hall, went home and offered me to come over if I needed anything. Ayame's friends were sweet, but I doubt Sakura liked me too much. Oh well. Like I care what she thinks.

Anyway, Sasuke, Ayame and I all entered the flat and it smelled like books. I liked it. It reminded me of my mother- she was a writer and she loved literature.

"Home sweet home." Ayame sighed and turned to me. "Welcome home, Onii-san." She said with a smile. Home was such a foreign word to me. I smiled broadly.

"Thanks, Onee-chan." I finally had a home.


End file.
